Protector of the Youth
by veryspecialagentriley
Summary: In Japan, the gods are still around, even if they aren't my own. But I was adopted into their ways, at an early age and trained as an elite samurai warrior. For twelve years, I was only known as Purotekutāyūsu. My adventures have taken me across the world, but all it takes is one prayer to be brought back to where I was born. To the life of a Greek demigod, however short it may be.
1. Prologue

**Protector of the Youth**

**Summary: In Japan, the gods are still around, even if they aren't my own. But I was adopted into their ways, at an early age and trained as an elite samurai warrior. For twelve years I was known simply as** **Purotekutāyūsu. My adventures have taken me across the world, but all it takes is one prayer to be brought back to where I was born. To the life of a Greek demigod, however short it may be.**

**Pairing: [Percy J, Annabeth C]**

**Prologue**

**Hebe POV**

I didn't intend for this to happen. And I certainly didn't intend to wind up pregnant with the lovely man that drew me in. The mortal I fell in love with was a child daycare owner. He always wanted children of his own, but his former wife had passed away during childbirth leaving him alone; without another chance at having one of his own. So when I had run into him, I firmly believed that I was going to do my best to ease his worries and fears.

Almost two months later, I ended up pregnant with his child. At first, I was worried that my husband would find out, but knew that this child would be worth it. All through the time when I was pregnant, the child only kicked once, and never gave me a hard time. It was almost as if the baby was trying to make this as easy as possible for me.

When the baby was born, it was a beautiful baby boy.

One thing that instantly let me know that he was a demigod was that his eyes were open, only a few minutes after being born. That usually doesn't happen with normal mortal babies. Not that my lover didn't know that he was going to have a demigod child. I confided in him, when I found out that I was pregnant, that his child wouldn't be normal.

But just as the other immortals had to, I had to leave as well. The Ancient Laws were strict, and they commanded that the godly parent cannot raise his or her own child. I could visit, but I could not interfere directly with the upbringing of my child. My son's father knew that I could not be around that much, so he decided to make a decision without telling me beforehand.

He decided to take up an offer that his family gave him. One that gave him an option to go back home…to Japan. A place where I could not follow, even if I wanted to. The gods over there are still alive, and would not take kindly to another pantheon immortal showing up in their territory. Now, I didn't know if I ever would see my son, Perseus, again.

I could only hope that my son wasn't killed just for being a demigod from another pantheon. I prayed every night since that day when his father took him there, that he was alright. I knew that he would be strong, but I didn't know what he would go through. And that terrified me to no end.

One thing I didn't anticipate was seeing him for the first time in fifteen years on the day of his eighteenth birthday. I didn't even know who was under that mask, but I knew that that person was from the place where my son has been for the past decade and a half. I never thought that less than an hour after meeting him, I would find out who that warrior was.

**3rd POV**

Thousands of miles away, across forests, mountains, deserts, and oceans was a large landmass known as Japan. In it was a secluded monastery that was known to only a few in the island. The monastery had no mortal leader in charge of the building. It was the training place and home to one living soul.

Walking through the halls of his palace was a young man. His name was Purotekutā. But that was not his true name. The name the people of his land referred to him as had been a gift from the gods themselves. They had given him his new name in commemoration of the new life the young man started in his land almost eight years ago. When people saw him they could instantly see he was not from Japan. No, he was Greek.

He had arrived as a small, thin and shy boy but he had grown into quite the young man. The boy had hit a growth spurt around his fourteenth birthday and had gotten taller. Standing at 6'4, he towered over almost everyone he came across and was an imposing presence.

With the guidance of the gods, the boy had been allowed to train in the combat arts of the ancient warriors, known as the samurai. Years of strict and rigid training had filled the thin boy out into a toned and lean physique. His once chubby, boyish face was now the defined jawline of a man. His jet-black hair had grown over the years and he now wore them in several small braids. He had also changed in more ways than just physical. The young man was now confident, strong, outgoing, and fearless. His forest green eyes shined with internal strength. He walked tall and with pride at all he had accomplished in his time in Japan.

Purotekutā had grown into a fine samurai. Dressed in black and red armor and carrying his swords at his hip, Purotekutā was well on his way to fulfilling his father's desire. His father was killed by a home invader only two years after residing in Japan. On that night was when he first met some of the gods of the land.

* * *

**_Flashback_**

**_13 years ago_**

**(Purotekutā POV)**

For two days, I had been living on the streets. My father had been killed by someone who broke in to our home, looking for money or something. I had barely managed to get out before the robber saw my face. On my way out, I had only grabbed what I could carry in a small backpack. I grabbed the money from my room, some clothes to change into, and a plush toy that my mother had given to me before we left.

My father always used to tell me that I would see my mother again. But it wouldn't happen unless I went back to America. Because for some reason, she couldn't leave that place. I think that her family wouldn't have let her come with us. Another thing that my dad used to tell me was that the myths of gods were true, they were still around. Of all pantheons, primarily meaning the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and many others that I didn't know of yet.

I didn't really know what he was talking about until earlier today. I saw a floating woman up in the air, hovering over the roof of my house. But when I shouted for help, the image disappeared, leaving me to shout at an empty sky. I knew that it had to be a god, or spirit, because no ordinary person could do that.

We lived in a valley next to the mountains in northern Japan. There was an old monastery up in the mountains. One that I knew I could go to, because there were monks living up there. Maybe they could help me.

But by the time I got to the base of the mountains I was so tired that I could feel myself falling asleep. And as I collapsed forward, I could hear whispers around me.

**Time skip**

"Kare wa watashitachi no sekai karade wa arimasen." A deep voice sounded off to my right, bringing me out of my sleeping state. But I didn't open my eyes yet. I wanted to hear what else they were saying. I was fluent in Japanese, and could understand what they were saying. **(But he is not from our world.)**

A lighter, woman's voice seemed to argue as she spoke. "Sore wa mondaide wanai. Kare wa shidō o hitsuyō to suru ka, kare wa mō iki raremasen." She argued, her voice coming from my left. **(That doesn't matter. He needs guidance or he will not live any longer.)**

"Kare wa watashitachi no kigende wanai kamo shiremasen. Shikashi, moshi watashitachi ga tasuke o kashite kurenainara, nanika o yaru koto ga dekitara mōhitori no mujakina shōnen ga shinudeshou." Another voice from my left sounded off. **(He might not be from our origin. But if we do not lend help, another innocent boy will die when we could've done something.)**

"Fain." The first voice sounded off again.

This time I opened my eyes as I looked around the empty room. I got to my feet, swinging my backpack onto my shoulders as I clenched my fists in anticipation. "Dare ga soko ni iru no? Watashi wa anata no hanashi o kiitanode, darekaga soko ni iru koto o shitte iru." I yelled out. **(Who's there? I heard you speaking, so I know that someone is there.)**

Suddenly three people appeared in front of me, all standing next to each other as they took in my figure. Then, the one on the right stepped forward. I could tell that this was a woman, because of her attire, that contrasted to the men standing to her left. Her face seemed to be torn between suspicion and worry.

Then she decided to speak in English. "Do you know who we are?"

"N-not specifically. I know that you are gods. But I don't know who is who as I've never met a god before. I don't mean any harm. I-" But I was cut off by a look from one of the others.

"Maybe you don't remember, but you have met a god before. More specifically, a goddess. But one from a different origin, and part of the world. I can see her power coursing through your veins, her traits outlining your facial features. I know you don't want to harm anyone." The god on the far left said as he stepped forward.

This time the god in the middle stepped forward. "Your father was a good man. He came from a long line of samurai warriors that led his ancestors into great victories. But since this land has moved away from their ancestors, we need someone to uphold our ways. We need someone like you to protect our homeland from outside dangers."

"And how would I do that?" I asked, still shocked by the fact that I was talking to actual gods.

"We will train you as a warrior from these lands. It won't be easy, but it will be worth the effort, young one. I know of your mother's wish for you, even if she isn't located in these lands. Her power runs through your body, urging you to do as she does every day…to protect the innocent."

I nodded my head, and kneeled before the three of them. "I swear upon my life that as long as I live, I will follow your commands until you see fit to release me from my duties. I swear this upon the stars and sun that give our land life." I swore firmly.

"Then rise, young one. We have much training to get through."

**_Flashback End_**

* * *

It was after his first command to save a young boy from an out-of-control fire, near Nagasaki, that he was talked about on the streets. There was talk of a young child, that couldn't have been older than ten, who saved an older boy, from a huge fire. The building ended up 'collapsing' on him, but there were rumors that he survived.

And within two years of saving those who couldn't save themselves, he was rumored to be a young boy who was made a god by their ancestors. But they couldn't tell if this savior was a male or female. No one could even see his face. All they could see was a pair of forest green eyes that seemed to captivate the children.

Thus he was named as the 'Protector of the Youth' by those he saved. Or to the adults, he was simply known as Purotekutāyūsu.

**A/N: Hello everyone, this is veryspecialagentriley and I want to say thank you. I've received a lot of support and praise from readers who wanted this story to be made. I wrote the prologue on a drabble story I have on my account, but wasn't sure if I should or not. But now its up and out. I've done my research on Japanese mythology, but if I got something wrong, please don't hesitate to pm me and give me the correct info.**

**For this story I will be posting updates every month on the 10th. I know, it's the 9th today, but from now on, every update for this story will be on the 10th.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Part I**

**Chapter 1**

**Purotekutā POV**

"Purotekutā, you need to take a break from everything. Go find a woman or male, if you swing that way. It's past time that you should've gotten laid. You're not getting any younger, you know." Yue-Lao, the god of love, suggested.

I only glanced in his direction, pulling my mask off of my face as I placed my katana back into the sheath hanging on my back. The suggestion also halted all talk going on in the room. I had just gotten back from another call for help from a young couple that were being held at gun-point from a robber.

Before I could speak, Kōjin stepped in front of me with Guanyin as she stepped from the side and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Don't listen to him. He's just trying to get under your skin." **(The former, is the god of the hearth. The latter, being the goddess of mercy)**

"It's fine. He's wrong though." I retorted, drawing some looks of confusion. I had been getting better at doing this. At controlling the ability I had received from my unknown mother. I was able to manipulate my appearance to make myself look younger, from time to time. It took some energy, but I could handle it for an hour or so before having to let go.

Acting on my words, I clenched my fists as I imagined my jawline getting chubby as I could feel my face becoming soft. I was purposefully turning back the time, and aging myself to look like a younger version. "Surprised?" I taunted, snapping my fingers, as my face returned to the normal features I held.

Some laughs and claps could be heard as I saw smiles all around. Yue-Lao only huffed as he walked out of the room with two other gods that liked to taunt me occasionally.

A sudden appearance by Izanagi, had me kneeling on the ground, head bowed. He was the one who only showed up when I was needed to take out any threats that were nearing the borders of Japan. He was seen as the 'Forefather of the Gods', being the first major god. The only one that all other gods would bow to automatically.

"Purotekutā, I have a new mission for you. But it will require you to leave the homeland. I have seen into the upcoming months, and your efforts have influenced all outsider forces to leave this land alone. Your efforts have made quite the statement that your required presence here, has come to an end." Izanagi spoke in an even tone.

I looked up at him in confusion. "What is my last mission that you will have me carry out?"

"The last mission I will have you complete for us is to reconnect with your mother, as she awaits your return. She has reached out to me in hopes of somehow reaching you. I have decided to fulfill her request for you to come home. I am the virtue of respect for one's parents, elders, and ancestors. I cannot and will not reject a mother's wish to reunite with her son." Izanagi informed.

"And what does that mean for after I complete the mission?" I asked, curiously.

"It means that your time with us has reached an end. You have fulfilled your father's wish and restored honor to the ways of his ancestors. Because of your efforts, you are free to visit at any time, but your duty has been fulfilled. We will happily connect with you if you decide to come back again, but you are no longer to be commanded by any of us, unless you choose to." Izanagi explained. With that said, Izanagi among many other gods in the room, vanished from sight.

Now there was only a few gods that had stayed behind to send me off.

The first to say good-bye was Kōjin, the god of the hearth. "I wish you good fortune my boy. You will only need to call out my name and I will help. You have been a son to me, one that I am happy to call as my friend." He said with a happy grin before fading from my view.

Ebisu was next, the god of wealth. "Purotekutā, I will leave you with this as my gift for all of your help. No matter what country you go into, it will never fail you or run out of money for any need." He said as a green credit card appeared hovering over my hand. I smiled at him, pocketing the card as I gave him a hug. Ebisu was one of the only immortals that would allow physical touch from me. He smiled back at me as he too faded from sight.

Yama-no-Kami was next, as the god of wolves. "Purotekutā, you have grown into such a strong wolf. One that can be seen as an alpha of his kind, just as I raised you to be. My gift is to grant you the ability to become the creature that I solely watch over. To find comfort with my offspring as if they were your own. No matter where you end up, you will never be challenged by any wolves that you encounter." He supplied as a silver glow shot out of his hands and streamed into the middle of my chest. Yama-no-Kami gave me a warm smile as he transformed into a wolf and trotted out of the room.

Lùshén was the last one remaining in the room, as the god of travelers. He strode up to me with a sad look on his face as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Thank you for all of your help to the homeland. The other gods may not say anything, but I will speak for them. Your efforts go beyond the actions of the greatest samurai warrior, we immortals have ever seen. My gift to you will allow you to change your clothing appearance by a simple thought. It will also allow your weapons and armor to meld into your skin, even if you are bare. I have also been given help by Hachiman, as your armor and weapons have been strengthened to withstand any metal it comes in contact with."

Hachiman is the god of war, battle, bravery and honor. He is seen by the mortals as the divine protector of Japan. He was the one to gift me my samurai armor and teach me how to fight in the ways of my father's ancestors.

I bowed my head to Lùshén as he did to me. Then my stony expression broke into a wide grin as he crushed me with a hug. Almost two days after meeting me, he adopted me as his son, giving me a warmer connection to the gods here. He was a very good friend, and I was grateful that he did what he did because it made my transition into this way of life easier.

"I'll miss you Lùshén. Thank you for all you have done for me. I would not still be alive if you hadn't have adopted me as your son." I thanked as we both had to step back from our embrace.

"I will transport you part of the way back. I love you." He said, before I felt myself being pulled in a separate directions.

The form of teleportation was a strange feeling. It felt like you were being torn in half, but when you opened your eyes again, everything was where it was supposed to be. Only the gods could use this form of transportation thankfully. It takes a large amount of pure concentration, because if you mess up, a piece of you might not be attached to your body.

Looking around, I could see buildings around me that alerted me to where I currently was. I was standing across from the 'Blue Mosque', which is located in Istanbul, Turkey. As a part of my education, I had been taught by Tenjin, the god of learning. I had been taught over twenty languages, in anticipation that I would have to travel across the world for a mission.

I smiled to myself as I pulled out the credit card from my pocket. Even though it was still noon, I needed to find a hotel to check myself into for the night. I turned to an adult that was just about to walk past me. "Afedersiniz, en yakın otelin nerede olduğunu biliyor musunuz?" **(Excuse me kind sir, do you know where the closest hotel is?)**

The man looked at me in surprise that I was speaking Turkish with a perfect accent. But he got over it quickly and pointed out directions for me to follow. After thanking the man again, I continued on my way.

After checking myself into a cheap hotel, I decided to stay inside my room for a little bit. I needed to try out my new abilities that I had been given. It turns out, changing into a wolf was relatively easier than I thought it would be. All I had to do was envision a wolf, and in an instant I was said wolf. My color scheme was a beautiful piercing silver with a white underside.

I also decided to try out my ability to change my clothing. It was a little bit harder considering that I had to have a perfect image in my mind. But after close to two hours, I had it down and without using much energy or effort. With this ability, I wouldn't have to spend money on clothes, as all I had to do was look at the outfit before shifting my clothes into it.

* * *

I had to wait until nightfall before going back out into the streets again. Years of training had me wide awake in the evening times and late night. It was when I was sent out to help the most in the homeland. I knew that one day of not being there, wouldn't cancel out instinct.

So I decided to walk around the city of Istanbul in the last outfit that I had shift into. It was an outfit that I had heard of as a fashion trend from the 1990s over in America. I think it was called the 'bad boy' look. That's what I heard one of the teenagers from Nagasaki say when they were comparing both of the countries simply by clothing.

I must have done something right in my shifting, because I was attracting a lot of female attention just by walking on the sidewalk. I had never allowed myself to be distracted by someone of the opposite gender for the sake of a mission. But today, I wanted to try it out, especially in a place like this.

Looking over at a nearby bar, I walked through the doors as I could hear many conversations continue on. Relieved that no one was looking at me yet, I made my way over to the bar. Here is Istanbul, the drinking age was eighteen. Even though I was only two weeks away from my 18th, I looked older than most of the people my age.

The bartender turned in my direction as I sat down with a smile as he threw a towel over his shoulder. "Size ne verebilirim efendim?" **(What can I get you?)**

"Bir 'bir plajda seks'." I replied. I didn't want to get wasted, so I asked for a drink that I could sip as time went on. **(A 'sex on a beach')**

The bartender nodded at me as he walked away and started to mix the drink for me. At that time, I felt a tap on my shoulder, urging me to glance to my right. My gaze connected with a girl who looked to be slightly older than me, but I wouldn't mind the age gap. I was only here for a drink, the added attention was just a plus for me.

**A/N: Next chapter will be a surprise confrontation between Purotekutā and a group of wizards that decided it was a good idea to challenge the warrior.**

**And yes! I know! I know! I know! I'm so sorry about forgetting about the update. I kinda forgot about it with everything going on this past month. I'm working full-time plus taking 18 credit hours of college as well as taking care of a two year old child by myself.**

**I will for sure be on top of it next month, I swear upon the Styx!**

**(Thunder rumbling in the background)**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**5 days later**

**Purotekutā POV**

It's been a couple of days since that night in Turkey. It was a learning experience for me considering I had never even talked much with a female. Most of the females that I spoke with were gods, and we weren't close enough for that kind of interaction. Or the young kids that I saved during my time in Japan, but I wasn't looking at them that way.

It was just an innocent conversation between the girl and I. She wanted to know about my past and if she could sit down next to me. Obviously, I lied about my past so I told her that my family split up when I was fifteen. All of us going separate ways across the world. Not that she had seen me anywhere, or could've known that I was lying to her. Which didn't matter, because I don't think she would've believed the truth about me becoming a samurai warrior that was taught by the gods of Japan since the age of eight.

That just doesn't sound believable.

After talking for about an hour, we went our separate ways, leaving the bar in the opposite direction as the other. It was cool, getting to talk about something other than weapons or saving kids from flaming buildings, to just be a normal person.

But one thing I could tell about London, was that this place is not normal by any means. I just passed by an elder woman who had an owl resting her shoulder. But the owl was speaking in English, which isn't something that those birds are capable of doing. At least not any bird that I've ever come across before.

I stopped for a moment, glancing back as I saw the woman walk into a nearby pub. The action of an owl speaking in English, had me interested. So I glanced around myself one more time before following her into the establishment. Another thing that held my interest was her clothing. She was dressed in long robes, but none like I had seen in Japan. Not royally styled, but common village styled robes.

As I stepped over the threshold of the doorframe, the entire interior made me freeze in my tracks. This wasn't a bar at all. This looked to be a type of 'farmer's market' that had some very strange merchandise. On top of that, the people inside were all dressed mostly in the same styled robes that matched the woman I had followed into this place.

Speaking of that woman, I couldn't see her anywhere inside the building. Shaking my head in exasperation, I made my way out the side door. But I came into a completely different alleyway than the one I had seen outside of this establishment. There were many stores and people outside, setting up tables and shouting for customers.

"I must've stepped into an alternate dimension." I muttered to myself.

"No ya didn't." A voice to my left sounded off, making me turn to see who spoke. It looked to be the lady I had followed in to the store. Upon recognizing who it was, my right hand moved to my waistline, where I kept a hunting knife hidden, threateningly.

"What is this place?" I asked, my voice calm, but guarded.

"Diagon Alley." The woman answered. "How can you see everything if you are a muggle? None of your kind has ever gotten into this place without having the ability to wield magic."

"What's a muggle?" That was my only comment to her statement.

"A person that's incapable of performing magic." The robed woman replied.

"London is fucking weird." I murmured under my breath.

"Excuse me?!" A young boy's voice rang out from behind me. I furrowed my eyebrows as I turned to face the woman, but she wasn't there anymore. I turned around to face the young voice, but didn't expect to be confronted by a group of teenagers. I scanned the frowning faces as I activated the armor under my clothes, in anticipation.

"Is there a problem little one?" I asked the guy, who was standing in the front.

"Who are you calling little one, muggle?" The guy said it, almost like it was supposed to be an insult to me.

"Is that supposed to be an insult? Because you might need to be a little older to actually make an insult to me, ginger." I remarked in an even tone.

One of the males on the side looked at me as he stepped forward, resting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Ron, let's just go. It's obvious that this guy's a jerk." But the redhead shook his head, and pointed at me. "No, I'm going to teach this guy a lesson." He said as he reached for his side.

I took that as him reaching for a knife or something and reacted in an instant. In a blur, I let go of the concealing spell that I had on my armor and summoned my hunting knives. In a second's time, I changed from jeans and a light sweater, to all black samurai armor, wielding two silver knives. One of the knives pressing up against the boy's throat in a warning gesture. "Make one move and you're dead." I threatened softly from behind my mask.

Then I turned my gaze towards the people behind him, taking in their shocked faces at what just happened in front of them. "I don't mean harm, I just want to leave this dimension if possible. I have a mission to complete and my time is running out." I lied, wanting to only leave this place so I could get back on my way to find out who my mother was.

"You should have thought of that before entering Diagon Alley." The boy shot back at me, still mindful of where the knife was resting against his neck.

"If you speak again, I will not hesitate to shut you up for good." I warned the boy, before looking to the others again. "I don't want trouble, but I am not someone you should mess with either. Just lead me to the exit and you will never have to see me again." I offered gently.

"Just put down the knife and we'll show you. But put away your knife or we won't." One of the females from the back said as her voice rang out. Then she stepped into view, and crossed her arms in a commanding way. "I'm waiting."

I smirked from behind my mask, and pressed the knife edge against the boy's throat harder, drawing a little bit of blood. "Then you'll have to wait a little longer, sweetheart." I replied as moved the other knife to hover right above his heart. "For every second you waste in trying to persuade me away from my goal, I will move the blades closer to this male's body until the hilt of my knife is resting all the way against the front of his chest. Show me the way out, and then he will be let go. That's the only way this will happen. If you don't think I'm serious, then I will show you otherwise, by decapitating your friend, right in front of you."

"Fine, we'll do as you say." The boy with the small facial scar said, holding up his arms in a gesture for me to wait.

"Lead the way." I commanded.

* * *

After ten minutes of weaving through the crowds of people, we finally came back to the bar that I had first walked into. The boy with the scar on his face turned back to me. "All you have to do is walk through that door, and you will be out in front of the store again. We had a deal, so honor your word." He pressed firmly.

"I like you, kid. You remind me of a younger version of myself, actually. That's good, because you'll need it out in the real world. I am a man of my word, don't worry." I said, retracting the knives from their positions against the other boy's body. I took a step back as the boy rushed away from me and willed my armor and mask to disappear.

The sudden disappearance of the black armor and mask, caught the attention of the group of teens still standing in front of me. "How did you do that?" The girl from earlier asked.

I only looked at her with an amused smile. "Trade secret." I replied before stepping out of the building, back into the real world. I don't know who those people were, but I needed to get out of there before nightfall. I had a bad feeling that I would be stuck there for a while before getting out. Besides, I have a mission of my own to complete.

I have to find my mother.

**Hecate POV**

After I had vanished into the shadows, I stuck around to see what would happen when that group of teenagers confronted him. He's a warrior…that much is clearly visible. He could be a huge helping hand to our side against the Olympian gods. I couldn't tell if he was Greek or Roman, but I knew that he was from one of those two origins. Not that it would matter which aspect his godly parent was. We more than had the numbers to win the war from either side.

As I saw him leave the alleyway with the group, I made sure to position myself next to where he would've stepped out into the open. I caught his gaze as he looked around himself, to see where he was. I looked into his gaze as he narrowed his eyes at me, suspiciously.

But before I could make a move towards him, he walked in the direction opposite to me with a purpose. Taking that as a cue to follow, I made sure to keep my distance from him as he continued to walk towards Big Ben. He didn't seem to notice that I had decided to follow him as he continued to walk in a graceful way that oozed ignorance.

A couple of seconds after he walked into a snack store, I entered several seconds after him. But I found that the place was completely empty of life. All of the lights were off, merchandise was scattered on the floor and the person behind the counter was unmoving as he was slumped over the counter.

But I didn't get to do anything, because a second later, the unknown warrior was standing in front of me. His mask and armor adorning his figure, his hands resting at his sides, as he glared at me, from behind the mask in the slits created for sight. "Who are you? You're not human."

I took a step back at the edge in his voice. It didn't sound like anything human I had ever heard before. It sounded like a reverberated mix of a chainsaw and growl from a bear. Almost as if he was a demonic being. But I steeled my nerves and responded in a firm voice. "I'm looking for a warrior to join me in a fight against my enemy. You interested?" I offered.

The figure only held my gaze, not answering the question.

I tilted my head to the side for a moment before taking a step forward. The figure didn't move, even though I was now standing right in front of him. I made a move to reach for his mask, and he didn't even flinch, almost as if he was lost in his mind. But when I grabbed the edge of the mask, the entire figure dissipated into nothing.

It had been a trick. But how was this warrior able to fool me, the goddess of magic, witchcraft, ghosts and necromancy.

Almost as if a trip wire had been hit, the lights flicked back on and everything else went back to how it normally should go. The man behind the counter was awake and nodding his head to a song that was playing from the speakers around the store. But when I made my way over to the exit, there was a piece of paper with only three words written on it. Three words that made my blood run cold in realization of how dangerous this person was. Because it was written in Latin.

_Hello Lady Hecate._

* * *

**I know I'm a couple of days late on the update. This is my final's week, and I've been juggling work and school by myself this year, which isn't easy when you take 16 credit hours of college classwork and work another 30+ hours a week. But it pays the bills, so I can't complain too much.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Purotekutā POV**

I was finally in America. Or Portland, Maine as it was almost four hours ago. I still had no clue as to where my mother might be except for a paper slip that Izanagi had given to me as I left the monastery that night. It didn't say who my mother was, but it did give me a clue as to the first way to find out who she was.

It was an address of a military academy. Some place called Westover Hall which is in Bar Harbor, Maine. I didn't know how this would help me find out who my mother is, but I knew better than to argue with my superiors. Especially those who have helped me for at least the past ten years. They've never given me a reason not to trust their judgement.

Wanting to get a good look at the school, I made sure to make my way over to the academy right before dusk set. I made sure to place myself on top of a hill that overlooked the school, scanning the surrounding area, hoping to find any clues that could give me something to go on.

Hearing a noise, I shifted myself into my wolf form and hid in a nearby bush. Seconds later, a group of ten silver wolves shot out into the opening of the forest where I was previously scoping out. They couldn't see where I was, but I knew that it was only a matter of time before they sniffed me out.

Right before I jumped out of my hiding spot, I heard a great number of hurried footsteps heading my way. And with the group of humans approaching, I could feel an aura that could only equal a godly presence. I could hear the discussion between several wolves and decided that it would be best to make my appearance before I was flushed out.

I slowly started to reveal myself as I stepped out of the large bush I was currently hiding in. The humans were all female, including the person with the powerful aura. That set off a red flag in my mind as I realized who was before me.

_"Lady Artemis."_ I spoke in her mind as I bowed my head to her as an act of submission.

"What is your name, young wolf?" Artemis' voice sounded off as a young teenage girl stepped forward to stand directly in front of me.

"Purotekutāyūsu_"_ I responded, accidentally answering in Japanese, forgetting that she might not understand what I just said. And I was right, because in response, she nocked an arrow in an instant, aiming at my face.

"How are you here? Your kind is banned from leaving your land." She said firmly, glaring at me. The rest of the others followed in their patron's actions and soon there were almost twenty bows aimed at me with one or more arrows nocked at muzzle level.

_"That would only apply to me, if I was one of them."_ I responded softly. But this time I made sure to answer in English.

"How do you speak that language if you are not one of them, then?" Artemis pressed, this time multiple girls behind her pulled out what looked to be hunting knives at hearing the words of their patron goddess.

Deciding to reveal my true form, I slowly allowed myself to shift back into my human form. Of course, I made sure to wreath myself in my armor and mask, protection always comes first. But I kept myself still in a kneeling position, not daring to look up and give the goddess in front of me; a reason to kill me now.

"Answer my questions now, boy. Or else you will find yourself underground."

"Since the age of five, I was taken from my mother who was a goddess from this pantheon by my mortal father. We had moved to Nagasaki were we continued to live until I was seven. But he had been killed by a home invader, his actions helping me escape into the mountains up north. From that moment, I was trained extensively in the ways of their warriors, to restore honor to my father's ancestors. The Forefather of Japan received word from my mother and released me from my duty, so I could be reunited and live the rest of my life with my true family." I explained, keeping my voice level and calm.

"How old are you?" One of the hunters asked, lowering her bow.

"Eighteen years old, as of today." I answered, taking that as a cue to lift my head. I slowly rose to onto my feet and made a gesture that I wasn't going to try anything. I still kept my eyes on a couple of hunters that still had their bows fixed on me.

"And why are you here on this hill, at this time of day, on this certain day, boy?" One of the girls that still had her bow drawn on me asked. She was wearing a silver tiara looking thing on her head, which kind of confused me. It made her look like a Persian princess.

"When the forefather sent me here, he revealed that I would find a clue as to who my mother is if I came here. I had no intention of running interference, Lady Artemis. I'm merely trying to figure out the identity of my mother."

But a muffled yell from behind me, caught my attention. I snapped my head in the direction, instantly taking off. I knew that I probably freaked out some of the hunters, but I didn't care too much. There was someone who needed help, and I never turn down a plea for help.

I shifted back into my wolf form and kept running in the direction of the muffled yells. As I came upon a clearing, there was a duo of kids who looked early into their teen years that were being led by a monster I had only heard about.

A Manticore.

Hearing a panicked cry from the girl, set my blood on fire. With a loud growl, I lunged from my place onto the Manticore's back, sinking my fangs into the skin of the hybrid creature. I made sure to leap off of the creature before he could hit me with his scorpion tail. I let loose an echoing growl that seemed to make the ground shake as I placed myself in between the hybrid and the two teens behind me.

At that time, I heard three sets of heartbeats as three more teens came into my line of sight. They seemed to understand that I wasn't hurting the duo behind me, but were still hesitant to fully trust me. That was smart, because I would attack any of these people, if given a reason to.

"What is this? A lone wolf thinks he can defeat me. You demigods have gotten weaker as time goes on. Now you have to rely on wildlife to fight your battles for you." The hybrid taunted.

I only smiled wolfishly as I heard a hunting horn ring out in the tree line behind the monster. He seemed to know what it meant because the creature's face paled greatly. "No that's against the Ancient Laws!" He protested as he sent a small group of spines into the tree line.

But Artemis and the group of girls stepped out into the open, their bows drawn and ready. "You are a beast, and I am allowed to hunt all beasts. So no law is actually being broken." Artemis replied, as the one with the tiara stepped forward.

"I will not go down without a fight." The Manticore said, bracing himself for combat, but also turning himself to face the group of females. He must've forgotten the group of demigods behind him, including myself.

Because I lunged myself at the hybrid, being mindful of the tail. I shifted back to my normal human form, unsheathing the katana from my back and slicing straight through the monster's body with one strike. The Manticore burst into golden dust as my sword had completely sliced through the middle of the beast, killing him instantly.

I sheathed the sword blade, on my back and faced the now surprised group of demigods. I guess that they've never faced someone who can change form between a wolf and a human. My mask was still covering my face, except for my eyes, so they couldn't tell if I was male or female, not that it would matter in the end.

I felt the powerful presence of the hunting goddess and whirled around to kneel before her, respectfully. "Lady Artemis." I intoned, making it obvious for the other demigods to follow suit. But surprisingly enough, none of them did. None of them even bowed in respect, shocking me greatly. If I ever showed disrespect like that to any of the gods, I would be punished severely.

I rose back onto my feet as I glanced over at the two siblings. They both looked to be twins at least, given the same facial features. I could also smell an aura of death around them, confirming my suspicion of their godly parent being Hades. I pulled off my mask, tucking it into my waistline to keep it close by if needed.

"Dude, that was awesome!" The boy gushed as he rushed up to me, his eyes wide and big with obvious excitement. He then started to ask me a number of questions about my outfit and commenting that I look like a ninja warrior.

Finally I had enough of his yapping and fixed him with a harsh glare, making him stop. "Please, stop talking. I need to think and I can't do that with your constant chatter." I spoke sternly.

"Give him a break, dude." One of the female demigods said as she stepped up to me. "Now that I think about it, who are you and why are you here? I've never seen you before at camp, so you have to be with the titans." She challenged, as she tried to shove me to the ground.

I caught myself from stumbling and turned to face her. I was well aware of the hunters behind me going silent as if they were about to watch a fight happen. "If you wish to intimidate me, you will have to try much harder than that, pup. You are no match for me, and if you want to me to show you, I will gladly put you in your place." I snarled with a low growl.

The girl's eyes seemed to spark as she turned away from me. She drew a spear from a canister and brandished a shield in my direction. I guess she was trying to get me to look away at the picture embellished on the front of it, but I'd seen much worse.

"How did he not flinch at that?" I heard some of the hunters ask each other.

Time seemed to pass until I spoke next. "Aren't you going advance?" I taunted. The demigod huffed in annoyance and decided to act on my goading by charging me with a yell.

I only stood in the same place, arms crossed across my chest until she was five feet away. Right as she got in that place, I acted with instinct and skill. I jumped into the air, hurdling her poorly aimed slash at my waistline and punched her right across the face, knocking her to the ground. Her momentum taking her a couple of feet past me until she hit the ground, unmoving, seeing as I had knocked her out with one punch.

I turned around mockingly. "Is that it? I expected a lot more from a demigod wielding a shield replica of Lady Athena's." Then I turned to face the two demigods that arrived with the now-unconscious demigod. "Any of you wish to try me in combat?" I taunted with a smirk, placing my mask back onto my face.

"Purotekutāyūsu."

I turned around to face the girl wearing the tiara. "Is there something you require, lieutenant?" I asked respectfully with an inclination of my head.

"You have been summoned to Olympus by my father. Will you come in peace, or will I have to take you by force?" Artemis' voice was guarded as she stepped closer to me.

"I will not give you any trouble Lady Artemis." I swore firmly before I felt a hand on my shoulder, closing my eyes as I felt myself be teleported elsewhere.

**A/N: I got on the ball about updating on time for this chapter. Yay!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Artemis POV**

True to his word, the male warrior didn't even flinch as I teleported the both of us to Olympus. He was still dressed in his mysterious black armor that I first saw him wearing when he shifted from being a wolf an hour ago. When I got a closer look at the weapons he carried, I was amazed at the wide range of blades.

He had a three-foot katana sheathed on his backside, the hilt of the sword resting atop his right shoulderblade, the handle molded to his grip. Two shorter blades strapped to the back of his back just above his waistline, handles pointing downwards so they could be easily grabbed. He had two knives along the outside of his thighs, the handles had a circle at the end, so they could be switched between reverse and icepick grips, easily. The last of his weapons that I could make out was a belt of throwing knives secured to his waist.

With the variety of weapons, he could easily be an assassin. Along with his armor and mask, he was a frightening sight to come across. His armor was a sleek pitch-black shade fitted perfectly to his form, and the mask was a featureless glove-like mask, covering everything except for his eyes.

One thing that was strange, was the aura he gave off. I could sense a death aura hanging around him, informing me that he's killed before, whether that be male or female, mortal or demigod, I didn't know. But based on a brief viewing of his beat-down against my demigod half-sister, Thalia, he was clearly trained extensively. I wasn't sure if his reflexes were enhanced or not, but he was obviously trained by a god.

The thing that threw me off about his aura was the presence of an immortal being that I haven't seen in such a long time. I didn't know that Hebe would have another demigod out of her wedlock. But I couldn't hold it against her, considering that she was forced into marrying that disgusting pig of a male, Heracles. It was obvious that this demigod, however, had no idea of who his mother is.

But I was pulled out of my thoughts when I saw my father's look of suspicion towards the unknown demigod standing next to me. "Why is this demigod not in bounds?" He asked, pointedly towards me with a frown.

"I swore upon my name not to give her any trouble. And I keep to my word." Purotekutā informed, his eyes visibly narrowed from behind his mask as his accent shocked the others.

"Why is your kind here?!" My father boomed with shout. "Your kind w-" But he was cut off by an enraged shout by the demigod that I had brought to the throne room.

"SILENCE!" The yell echoed, shutting off all whispers between the rest of the gods and turned all of the attention towards the lone demigod standing in the middle of the room. But Purotekutā didn't seem disturbed by the additional looks at him, only clenching his jaw in anticipation.

"Punk's got stones." My idiot half-brother, Ares muttered under his breath.

But Purotekutā seemed to have heard the comment. He turned his head to the side, not looking pointedly at the war god, but enough to draw attention. "That applies to you too."

My half-brother seemed surprised at the remark and leaned forward in his throne, pulling his sun-glasses further down to glare at the male.

But before he could speak, my father interrupted with a call for silence. He threw down a thunderbolt, causing everyone to stop talking and look at him, so he could speak. "What is your name then, demigod?" Father asked, returning to a calm manner.

"Perseus Jackson." He answered firmly.

At his answer, I saw a head peak into the throne room. It was a young female, someone that I was sure needed to hear this conversation happen. It was Hebe, the Goddess of Eternal Youth, the Patron of Brides. She was visibly shocked as her gaze rested on the demigod's form.

She didn't waste another second before running into the throne room and colliding with the male in a fierce hug. "My boy…Perseus. You're still alive. Oh my baby boy." She muttered in his ear as she warmly embraced her son.

"Είμαι εδώ μητέρα." Purotekutā murmured back as he hugged her just as tightly as she held onto him. It was heartwarming to see a mother and son reunite with each other. I may be a man-hater, but I had a feeling that this male was different from his gender. **(I'm here mother.)**

"What is this?!"

A booming voice made Hebe flinch in her grasp on her son. I looked up to see Heracles walking into the room, his club clutched tightly on top of his shoulder. I scowled at the sight before me, hoping that the disgusting male would leave quickly. But sadly, that didn't seem to be the case.

"You cheated…and had a demigod!" Heracles snapped as he hefted the club off of his shoulder.

Before I could even move, the god swung the club at his wife. But the club was stopped before it could come within five feet of the goddess, by her demigod son. Purotekutā had stepped in front of his mother, protecting her body with his own. Two gleaming silver knives held in an 'x' shape, stopping the club in its tracks. Purotekutā's eyes were narrowed sharply as he stood there, unaffected by the known strength of the minor god that stood in front of him.

"Raise your hand against my mother again, and it will be my pleasure to show you, just how much of a coward you are for raising your hand to her. Only cowards raise their hand to women." Perseus threatened, sheathing the knives on his waistline, but never taking his eyes off the god in front of him.

Heracles only scoffed, but still turned, walking out of the room without saying another word.

Hebe turned her demigod son around with worried eyes as she cupped his face. "Why would you risk his wrath? He might be a minor god, but he is quite vengeful. You don't need to be making enemies, Perseus." She lightly reprimanded with a worried frown.

Purotekutā pressed a kiss to his mother's forehead and looked her in the eye. "I'm a protector, mother. It's what I've trained for in the past twelve years. In the land of Japan, I was referred to as the 'Protector of the Youth'. It's the only reason why I've come as far as I have. My duty is to protect others, no matter what the consequence might be. Besides, what kind of son would I be, to not protect his mother?" He added with a light smile.

Hebe smiled back at him and they hugged one more time before they separated and the demigod walked back over to stand in front of my father's throne with an emotionless expression. Zeus was silent in watching the interaction with his minor god son and demigod, shockingly enough.

But no one had any time to say anything before he started to talk again. "I propose that this demigod be sent to Camp Half-Blood immediately. Though he seems to be powerful, he will fight alongside our demigod children. Since he isn't the prophecy child, he will be a key instrument to train the others." It was quite shocking not to hear my father sound the opposite of paranoid of a potential threat to himself.

Purotekutā remained silent until my father had finished speaking. "With all due respect. I will not be staying at this Camp Half-Blood. My duty requires me to always be moving, and never give anyone a clear time in which I will come back."

Apollo leaned forward in his seat, seeming to smile a little bit. "Then perhaps you should travel alongside the Hunt." He teased, looking firmly at me with an innocent smile.

I had to resist the urge to shout at my brother from across the room. "My Hunt is for females only, Apollo. They would never welcome a male figure amongst their ranks. He is a male, and therefore, not welcome to join my hunt."

Purotekutā didn't seem a bit bothered by my rejection of the idea. He only nodded once after hearing my reasons, silently.

Hera seemed to notice his silence and pointedly asked him a question about it. "You are quiet, demigod. Why is that?" She asked, sounding curious.

Purotekutā looked at her with a solemn expression. "It is solely her decision. I know the main reason for the Hunt being created. They do not trust males, so why would it be, at all, reasonable to force a male to join their ranks? I hold no objection to Lady Artemis' denial of the proposition, for it isn't my place to try and convince her otherwise." He explained, thoroughly shocking me. This male was truly different than the rest of his gender.

Apollo's eyes bugged out, at hearing the response. He seemed to get a little embarrassed at being ridiculed by the demigod's obvious rhetorical question. He huffed and slumped in his throne.

Of course, at this time, Aphrodite leaned forward in her throne, gaze fully resting on the demigod. Purotekutā didn't seem to notice the added attention, he was still facing my father silently. He didn't seem to suffer the same behaviors that I've seen many demigods deal with, mainly ADHD. He wasn't tapping his foot, or looking around, or murmuring anything.

Zeus leaned forward in his throne. "Either way, this demigod cannot travel on his own. He must either join the Hunt, or the demigod camp here."

Purotekutā seemed to make a decision. "I will stay at the demigod camp. On the condition that I be able to leave when I receive calls for help. My duty comes before anything else. If you decide to have me followed, I will not argue. But if that being, interferes with my course of action, I will act however I choose to. Either take it or leave it."

Athena decided to pipe up now. "It seems fair, father."

"Very well then. But you will be monitored constantly. And if there is any notion that you try to attack this council, I will not hesitate to end you where you stand." Zeus sneered. Then he muttered under his breath, something about 'taking orders from a demigod'. But I turned my attention away from the grumbling god.

Purotekutā looked directly at me for a few seconds, his expression seemingly to be empty. "I will take that as an order to leave this room. I will wait outside the throne doors for the end of this meeting to be escorted back to the mortal realm." With a polite bow, he turned away from my father's throne and silently walked towards the doors.

The doors shut behind him with a boom. I nodded my head contently before turning back to face my father's shocked expression at the show before him. "Well that just happened." Apollo commented with a deadpanned tone. I could only nod in agreement with my idiot brother.

The rest of the meeting was a blur. There wasn't much to talk about except for plans to meet up in a week for the winter solstice. My mind was on a certain demigod son of Hebe. Perseus was surprising me more and more by the second. He seems to have been raised to respect all women, but he didn't seem to back down to anyone when it came to protecting those that he cared about.

He challenged Heracles, who even though he was a disgusting male, was known for being vengeful to those who stood in his way. I was content that both Hebe and Perseus were only to reunite again after a considerable amount of time apart.

This male might just be the exception to what I teach my hunters about.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Purotekutā POV**

Spending a night in the tent with the son of Hades was exhausting. He wouldn't stop talking, even when I politely asked him to. It was getting so annoying that I had to put him to sleep using an incantation I was taught by Kōjin.

Then to get a better rest, I shifted myself into my lupine form and curled around the young male. It was going to be a cold night, and the son of Hades didn't have a blanket to curl up with and provide him some warmth. Plus, my instincts were screaming at me to protect him from all harm.

Imagine my surprise when the tent flap opened to reveal the daughter of Hades, crouched in front of the opening with a blanket in her hands. She smiled at me kindly, taking a seat just inside of the flimsy tent. "Thank you for saving us from that monster."

I nodded slowly, making sure not to wake the sleeping male. _"You're welcome, huntress."_ I spoke in her mind, making sure not to sound accusatory. I could see and feel the aura of the hunting goddess around the female sitting in front of me.

She seemed to understand that I knew about her pledge to Artemis. "I just wanted to live a lifestyle of my own choosing. As the older sibling, I was always looking out for my brother. I know it was a selfish choice."

_"I do not blame you for wanting to seek out your place in this world. I will look after your brother in your absence." _I assured her gently.

"What is your name? I never caught it." She requested.

_"Purotekutā. Or my birth name Perseus, if you wish to call me that." _I responded with a tilted head.

"I think, Perseus would be easier for me to pronounce. I don't mean to offen-" But I cut her off with a pointed look, before letting a smile run across my muzzle.

_"It does not bother me, so don't worry."_

The female in front of me let out a relieved sigh. "You're pretty cool…for a wolf."

But a throat clearing made me pick my head up fast and looked over to my right. Of course, there was the hunting goddess standing, with her arms crossed and a stony expression. "Normally I would demand that males not flirt with my hunters. But considering your parentage, I know of your natural aura and how others will feel around you. But do not expect me to not have my eyes on you, when you are around my hunters." Artemis warned me before walking away.

The female demigod turned around to look at me, confused. "Your parentage."

_"My mother is Hebe, the goddess of Eternal Youth."_

"That explains why I strangely feel at ease around you." Another voice from my left made me glance in that direction. I hadn't even heard the other demigod approaching. It was the daughter of Athena, Annabeth, I think her name was. "You did say that you are eighteen years old, correct?" She added after a few seconds.

_"Yes, I did."_

"Do you mind changing into your human body? It would be easier than talking to an animal." Annabeth asked, making me give her a playful growl at being called an animal.

A slight silver glow surrounded me before I switched forms to my human appearance. My black hair and forest green eyes were one of the first things noticed, however.

"Wow, if I didn't know any better. I would say that you look like a son of Poseidon." The daughter of Athena said, with some distaste in her voice.

"Is there something against Poseidon?" I asked carefully.

"He and my mother have a large rivalry dating back to the birth of Athens, Greece." She answered my question, in an irritated tone. I turned away from her slightly to watch the daughter of Hades walk away from the tense mood that was now put in.

_"Lady Artemis has requested that I stay in this form around her hunters. I assured her that I would follow her command, for she is my superior and one of the only goddesses that I respect." _I explained myself after changing back into my lupine form a couple of seconds after other female human left.

"Purotekutā." I picked my head up at hearing my name being called. I got to my feet as Lady Artemis motioned me forward to walk beside her. I quickly adhered to the gesture and was accompanying her as we walked out of sight of the camp.

After we had walked a little ways away from camp, she sat down on a nearby tree stump, and gestured for me to sit as well. "The reason why I have called you here is to inform you that I have to go away on a hunt that my father has summoned me to take. As such, it will take me deep into enemy territory and I will need you to watch after my hunters. I know that that may seem ironic for a man-hating goddess to ask a male to watch after man-haters, but I have a gut feeling that you will be the only male my hunters respect. Your mother has vouched for you, and considering what I saw at the council meeting, I know that you are the right choice." Artemis explained evenly.

I only nodded my head once. _"Thank you my lady."_

Then she stood up and motioned for us to return back to the camp, only to find that everyone was asleep except for the night watch. But once their mistress tapped them on their shoulders, they nodded and went inside their tents, leaving me to stand watch as Lady Artemis went on with her nighttime duties.

* * *

"Finally, he gets so lazy in the winter time." I heard Lady Artemis groan as the sun started to rise in the sky in the distance. "Don't worry, Purotekutā. I'm sure that my brother will allow you onto his chariot. I've never known him to have a grudge with the Japanese gods." She assured me as she shouldered her bow, snapping her fingers for me to follow.

I rose onto all fours, dutifully as she walked closer to the valley clearing. "Do not look until the light goes away." Artemis warned as I closed my eyes when the light around us got brighter.

After a few seconds had passed, the light went away and I was able to look.

"Hey little sis, you called for a transport." Apollo smiled as he looked over in his sister's direction, but not before looking at several of the hunters standing around.

"I am older than you. How many times must I repeat myself Apollo?" Artemis growled.

"Anyways, let's see who we have here." Apollo muttered as he waved off the growl sent in his direction by his sister, before starting to look at the demigods in front of him.

He winked at the daughter of Zeus, making her blush before glancing over Annabeth and the twin siblings before his gaze rested on me. "Perseus, I got to say that was awesome the way you laid it into my half-brother. I got mad respect for you doing that man." Apollo complimented me.

I shook off his comment and nodded my head once.

Artemis got back on topic and gestured to Apollo's vehicle. "And how are you supposed to escort my hunters along with these demigods in that?"

Apollo looked back at his car before snapping his fingers. Instantly the car transformed into a large yellow school bus in a soft thump. The front doors opened up as the light died down, giving some of the hunters a gesture to put their things into the side storage compartment.

I gave a slight nod to Artemis, which she returned before giving a look to her lieutenant, before flashing away. A tap on my shoulder made me look up to see Nico standing beside me with a hesitant look on his face. "Can you sit next to me?"

I licked his hand softly. _"Of course."_

"Thank you." He replied softly before turning away to get onto the bus after the rest of the Hunt got onto the bus. I waited for him to take a seat before curling on the seat next to him and motioned for him to set his hands on my fur in comfort.

Apollo snapped his fingers and got everyone's attention instantly. "Who wants to drive?" He asked, before his eyes landed directly on mine. "Perseus, how about you give it a go."

* * *

Never again am I going to drive Apollo's chariot.

Thankfully, I didn't fry, or injure anyone either on board, or on Earth. But there's a reason why I've never been in the air before. I am comfortable with heights, but would rather not have to deal with that again. Especially with Apollo trying to 'help' as he put it.

I made sure to change back into my wolf form before stepping off of the bus, sticking by Nico's side as soon as the engine stopped. I knew that he was already nervous with everything going on, and I wanted to help him. He gave me a small smile that I returned and a comforting nudge.

_"I'll protect you, should anyone give you a hard time." _I said into his mind, grinning to myself when I saw his tense shoulders fall in relief.

"I don't believe we have a kennel for a mutt like this." A rude and obnoxious voice rang out as we all approached a large two-story looking house. I looked over to see a large, stocky girl with a spear hanging from her left hand as she looked over Nico and I especially. "Is he your service animal because you're too incompetent to not be by your mommy's side?"

I let out a low snarl, as I placed myself in between Nico and this brat of a female. I bared my fangs at the demigod in front of me before recognizing the familiar scent. This was a daughter of Ares, a demigod daughter of the war god.

"You might want to tell your mutt to stand down before I gut him." She taunted.

Before either of us could lunge, Zoe stepped between us and faced the female. "If thou not wish to personally offend milady Artemis, thou wilt not berate a wolf of thy choosing."

The daughter of war seemed to take the words into consideration and sheathed her spear. "Your mutt will not find himself in friendly arms if he bares his fangs at me again." She spat before turning away to a nearby cabin.

"Follow me, I'll show you two around." Annabeth said as she gestured at both Nico and I. The Hunt had already walked off as soon as the lieutenant said her piece, and the daughter of Zeus was nowhere in sight.

Nudging the nervous son of Hades, he nodded back at me before we jogged forward to catch up to the daughter of Athena waiting for us in the center of camp.

* * *

**A/N: I know that most of you have been waiting for me to post, but I'm so sorry. My final exams were all last week, so I haven't gotten to write anything since August 9th in preparation for my exams. In order to make it up, this will be the first of two chapters I'm posting today.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Purotekutā POV**

"We don't have a place for you to stay except for outside of the cabins, Perseus." Annabeth finished up the tour and led both Nico and I towards the Big House.

"He can't stay in the Hermes cabin with me?" Nico asked, confused.

"Unless he's going to be in his human form, unfortunately not." Annabeth replied with a sigh.

_"If you want me to, I will return to my human form, Nico."_ I responded and nudged Nico's side with my muzzle before giving his hand a lick, reassuringly.

"I would be more comfortable." Nico admitted, his cheeks getting a little pink.

"Then I will oblige." I replied as I transformed back into my human form to stand before the two demigods in front of me. Taking a glance at the daughter of Athena, I could tell that she was nervous with my appearance. Getting the hint, I removed the mask from my face to give her a gentle smile. "I keep forgetting it's there."

She brushed off her nerves and waved my apology off. "It's quite alright. Just follow me so I can bring you both to the Hermes cabin. Travis and Connor should be back from their patrol shift."

"Can I ask a question about your wolf side?" Annabeth suddenly prompted.

"You just did, but go ahead." I responded playfully.

Annabeth rolled her eyes at my response but cleared her throat to continue. "How long have you been able to change into that form?"

"Just the past ten days up to this second."

"So someone gave you the ability to shapeshift?" She proceeded to ask next.

I merely looked back at her with a small smile before walking into the Hermes' cabin. All movement and talking went silent and still as each person locked eyes with me. "Is Connor or Travis Stoll here?" I asked calmly.

"Yes." Two voices to my right called out. They both stepped forward, revealing themselves to be a set of identical twins, roughly the same height. "We were only aware that we were getting one new person, not two." One of them trailed off as Nico stepped in beside me.

"That's because Perseus here, was previously a lupine." Annabeth took that chance to speak as she walked up to the twins to give them both a quick side hug. "Wolf." She clarified once she saw all of the looks of confusion sent her way.

"Cool."

"I take it that there is an empty bunk?" Annabeth asked, drawing the twins out of there dazes.

"Actually there only is one." Connor responded with a grimace.

I turned to face Nico as his stomach growled. "How long until dinner?" I asked the veteran demigods while giving Nico a teasing smile.

"It's in the next five minutes actually." Travis informed.

I looked over to him. "Can you show us the empty bunk?"

A nod answered me as both Nico and I were directed over to an empty bunk with some green bed sheets that looked as if they hadn't been used in months. "This is big enough for only one of you." He said before walking back to the bed next to his brother.

Nico made a move to sit on the ground, when I grabbed his shoulder and threw him onto the bed playfully. He went to protest, but I leapt onto the bed after changing into my wolf form and pinned him to the bed before starting to nose at his stomach, getting giggles out of him. "S-stop i-it!" He cried out as I continued to tickle him before laying fully on top of the young demigod.

"Let's go get some dinner everyone!" Travis' voice rang out, prompting me to hop off of the bed and wink at Annabeth who was giggling from my actions to Nico. I let out a loud bark at the demigod, making him jump up and causing him to rush out of the cabin to follow the others.

"Very mature." Annabeth commented as I shifted back.

"Obviously." I quipped, drawing a blush from her as she returned my smile.

The announcement of a war game made the both of us snap out of our staring contest, cheeks pink as we made our separate ways to our cabin tables. "You feeling alright?" Nico asked me, an amused look on his face as he turned to look where Annabeth was eating with her siblings.

I didn't even dignify that with a response as I caught the smirks sent my way by Connor and Travis. "Yeah, just thinking about something." I responded evenly before taking a bite of my salad in front of me.

"Oh you were focused on something alright. Standing at five foot seven, fifteen years old, blonde hair and gray eyes that are still looking at you." Connor trailed off with a chuckle.

Not knowing that he was just pulling my chain, I looked behind me to see Annabeth blushing as a couple of her cabin-mates were pointing at me. I let out a groan as I realized what he did and gave a shake of my head as I gave a mocking clap to them. "Alright, you got me, laugh it up."

A tap on my shoulder made me look over my shoulder to see one of Annabeth's siblings standing behind me. "Do you know your position in Capture-the-Flag?"

"No, where am I going to be?" I asked calmly.

"Border patrol. Both of you will be there. The hunters always stay on defense so you won't have to worry about them this time around." The son of Athena explained before walking back towards his table with his siblings. "This time we're gonna win. I know it."

* * *

That obviously wasn't how the game ended up at all.

Contrary to what the campers anticipated, this time the Hunt went out on a full-scale attack, meeting our main attacking force in an ambush. Our force of almost thirty campers were quickly disarmed and knocked to the ground in the span of two minutes. Only six hunters were out of the game in the ambush, and now I was face-to-face with the five veteran hunters.

I nudged Nico and gestured for him to stay at the side. He didn't know how to fight and I wasn't going to try and make him. Rolling my shoulders, I summoned my armor and mask to appear as the lieutenant gave her hunters a signal to ready their bows.

"If I were you, I wouldn't try to stand in our way, boy." She spat as she gave the order for the others to release their arrows.

Acting quickly, I ducked the first one coming at my neck before grabbing the hunting knives on my back and slicing through the next two coming towards my chest. The last two I knocked aside with the blades of my knives. "I think not." I quipped evenly.

The lieutenant gestured for two of the hunters to charge, they quickly grabbed their hunting knives and lunged towards me as I got into a defensive stance. The first hunter made a stab at my chin, forcing me to duck the strike before I kicked the second hunter in the chest. The force behind the kick knocked her to the ground as I raised myself back up and disarmed the first hunter by hitting the hilt of her blade with my own. As the weapon fell to the ground, I grabbed it and dodged the swing of the second huntress before holding both knife blades to their necks firmly.

"Do you yield?" A nod from each hunter answered me, so I pulled the blades away from their necks and looked back to the next two hunters that quickly closed the distance.

The next two hunters charged at the same time, making me take a step back as they both slashed towards my waistline. Taking a chance, I decided to jump over the strikes sent my way and sheathed my hunting knives to grab my katana on my back.

The next minute or so was spent blocking or attacking the hunters on either side of me as I danced around their strikes, much to their annoyance. These two girls had to be either on par with the lieutenant or close to her skill level. And I could only imagine that the lieutenant was as skilled as her patron goddess.

But a flash of movement behind the lieutenant made me turn to look in her direction for a second. "Κάτω!" I yelled at her and threw a throwing knife from my belt towards her.

The lieutenant followed my warning and ducked the incoming blade as it arched through the air to impale itself into the dracaena standing behind her wearing black armor. The monster fell before bursting into golden dust giving out a scream in a language that I didn't recognize.

Multiple footfalls and flashes of bronze made me look to the campers. "Ambush!" Right after I yelled that out, a hidden dracaena and cyclops army charged out into the open space. The campers and hunters alike grabbed their weapons and started to fight side-by-side as the enemy force collided with the demigod force. I quickly looked around to see that one person was missing from the fray.

Annabeth.

Shifting into my wolf form, I took a deep sniff into the air to try and figure out where she was, only to find her scent leading out towards the border of camp. Except based on the frightened pheromones that were in the air, she was being taken away from camp by force.

I raced off in the direction of the camp's border to find three cyclops holding Annabeth gagged and bound with another armored demigod in front of them with a double-edged sword at his hip.

Letting out a growl, I leapt out in front of the group, stopping them in their tracks.

"Get out of here mutt!" The enemy demigod spat at me, unsheathing his sword and leveling it at my muzzle threateningly. "This doesn't concern you so I would leave while you still can."

I took the chance to shift back to my human form, keeping my armor on as I grabbed the two hunting knives from my back. I held one knife in a reverse grip and the other in an icepick hold as I got into a defensive stance. "Like that's going to happen. Let her go."

The enemy demigod made a gesture and the three cyclops lunged forward to attack. I threw a throwing knife at the first one, killing it instantly before having to take a step back to avoid getting hit by the others' club. I ducked under one of the swings and slashed the other cyclops across his throat, killing him as he burst into golden dust and kicked the other one to the ground. I sheathed my knives and grabbed my katana and stabbed it in the chest before it could rise to its feet again. "Who are you and why are you doing this?"

The enemy demigod chuckled lowly as he stepped away from me and changed his grip on the sword in hand. "I'm surprised, and that doesn't happen many times, if at all."

"I won't ask again. What is your name and why are you doing this?" I snapped firmly.

"My name is Luke Castellan, and I am going to be the future host of Kronos, the Titan Lord of Time. I'm in the midst of raising an army, and we could really use a warrior like you." The enemy demigod informed with a cocky smirk.

"It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or his foe, that lures him to evil ways."

"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" Luke retorted with a scowl.

"I'm never going to join your pathetic excuse for a dream team." I snapped back at him before grunting out in pain as an arrow point was shoved through my back. I heard a muffled yell in front of me before I pitched forward and lost consciousness.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Purotekutā POV**

"Are you awake Perseus?" A voice to my right made me stir out of sleep. I groaned and blearily opened my eyes as I looked over to see the healer standing beside my bed.

"Where's Chiron?" I asked softly, leaning forward to sit up.

"He's at the Big House with the other head cabin counselors. They're discussing what happened last night. Do you think you'll need help getting over there?" The healer, Cassandra, I think her name was, asked me slowly.

"Just help me get on my feet. I'll be fine." I answered, extending my hand so she could help me.

"You should expect to feel some discomfort and fatigue from your wound and the impact of hitting your head on the ground." Cassandra informed me, placing an arm around my waist to steady me on my feet for a few seconds.

After a few seconds of standing up straight, I waved off her hold on me and thanked her for her help. "Have they heard anything about Annabeth yet?" I asked calmly.

"I'm sorry, but they haven't heard or seen her since the ambush two hours ago." I nodded back, accepting the response and walked out of the open door of the infirmary.

I walked up to the Big House to hear some whispers coming from the side room to the left, the whispers getting louder the further into the building I got. Being courteous, I knocked on the door twice and waited for someone inside to let me into the room.

It was Connor who opened the door and smiled warmly at me. "Good to see you're up Perseus."

"Thanks Connor." I responded and accepted his hug before stepping into the room. I got a couple of nods from around the room by the other counselors, including three from the hunters sitting at the end of the table. The lieutenant gave me a small smile along with her nod before returning to her scowling face.

"We have received a prophecy. And we were just about to discuss who should go." Silena informed me, giving me a cup of hot chocolate.

**_Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,_**

**_One shall be lost in the land without rain,_**

**_The wolf of youth leads the trail,_**

**_Camper and Hunters combined prevail,_**

**_The Titan's curse must one withstand,_**

**_And one shall perish by a parent's hand._**

I glanced at the lieutenant for a second to gauge her reaction but was distracted when the two hunters next to her shouted in accusation. "We don't need campers to rescue our goddess. They will just get in the way."

"The prophecy clearly calls for both hunters and campers to work together." Chiron pointed out.

"Three hunters and two campers." I stated, making everyone turn to me confused. "It's a better option than arguing with each other on how many of each side to take. The hunters don't like working with outsiders, so this option make it more than fair for them." I explained further, getting a surprisingly appreciative nod from the lieutenant.

"And why should we listen to the person that let Annabeth be taken by the enemy?" The daughter of Zeus, Thalia, retorted with a hard glare.

I raised my head at the accusation and rose to my feet. "You are not entirely free of fault either, spawn of Zeus. Where were you when your friend was being dragged away by the enemy?"

Thalia rose from her seat and made a reach for her spear, ignoring the command from Chiron to stand down and clenched her fists. "You have a lot of talk for a dirty mutt."

I took a step closer to her and let a small smile show. "If I were you, I would sit down before being humiliated by said dirty mutt. But I should just let you experience what it feels like to be embarrassed by someone more powerful than you will ever be." I taunted, snapping my fingers.

In a second, the daughter of Zeus shrank down to four feet tall, looking up at me, her weapons falling to the floor as she was unable to hold her weapons because of their weight.

The other counselors let loose some giggles and chuckles alike as the daughter of Zeus went beet red from being turned into a seven-year-old in the matter of a second. She hid her face behind her hands and raced over to where Chiron was sitting. "Please turn her back Perseus."

"Fine." I complied, snapping my fingers and changed her back from her seven-year-old state, to her fifteen-year-old appearance whose face was still red from embarrassment. "I hope you learned your lesson about who not to mess with." I added before taking my seat again.

I looked around the room to the other counselors, getting some shocked looks as well as a grudging smile from the three hunters. "Back to the quest, we need to figure out the members of who's going to go." I re-directed the conversation back to the original discussion at hand.

"Since the prophecy was given to me, I will take Phoebe and Tracy with me for the hunters' side of things. Phoebe is our best tracker, and Tracy is our best medic, should anything happen." The lieutenant explained firmly, leaving no room for discussion.

"And for the campers' side?" Silena asked nervously.

"I'll go." Thalia blurted out, having recovered from her previous embarrassed state. "I'm the best fighter here. And you're going to need someone like me." I stayed silent at her bold boast of being the best fighter and held back a chuckle.

"Percy should go as well. The 'wolf of youth' clearly refers to him." Travis said, turning everyone's focus to me as the information sunk in for the two hunters sitting beside the lieutenant.

"Never! We will not allow for a male to be near us." Phoebe, the tracker blurted before turning to her lieutenant as she laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Lady Artemis has vouched for him, Phoebe. I know that you may not like it, but I am going to allow him to travel with us for the sake of the quest. He is an exceptional fighter and I would rather not go against a prophecy." The lieutenant explained firmly, but calmly.

"But Zoe y-" Phoebe started to say but was silenced by her comrade.

"It is our patron's wish, sister. We cannot go against the prophecy unless you wish to incur the wrath of the Fates." Tracy trailed off, looking firmly at Phoebe who sighed in defeat.

"In the request of Lady Artemis, I will remain as a wolf for the duration of the quest unless asked to change by your lieutenant. I trust that this term will be acceptable, lieutenant?"

"This is acceptable. I will see you at first light with the others at the border." Zoe informed me before getting up from the table with her fellow hunters. I nodded back and stood from my seat to head back to my cabin with the Stoll twins as the meeting was ended by Chiron's command.

Nico noticed instantly that something was up when I sat down on the bed where he was laying and rubbed his shoulder. "I have been requested by the oracle to go on the quest, starting tomorrow morning. I apologize for having to leave you here, but I will not go against Lady Artemis' request to aid her hunters." I apologized softly as he looked up at me.

"It's okay. I understand Percy. I hope you save Annabeth." Nico added with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes before changing into my wolf form and laid down beside him, licking his cheek before nuzzling his neck reassuringly as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

I was up before the crack of dawn using the time to make sure my weapons were sharp and ready for combat. The armory of Camp Half-Blood was limited, containing various blades, varying in sizes and weight surprisingly. But during my time spent in the armory, I found two battle axes made from celestial bronze and mortal steel, each in equal weight and perfect length to hang them from my waistline.

There was another person up when I stepped into the armory that I wasn't surprised by.

Zoe, the lieutenant of the Hunt.

She was practicing her knife throwing at some of the archery targets from twenty yards away and nodded at me when I walked into the room. "I take it that you're getting in some practice as well." She stated firmly and threw another knife at the target.

"You can never be too prepared." I responded, unsheathing my katana as I squared off against a wooden dummy. The weapon extended to three feet long, a jet-black metallic edge that was blessed by Hachiman when I was being taught the ways of the samurai.

"What does your name stand for?" Zoe asked, standing beside the target holding four throwing knives in the inner-most circle.

"Back home, I was referred to as the Purotekutāyūsu, meaning Protector of Youth. But for all that I had saved, I received the title of Protector." I explained, sheathing my katana on my backside and secured my armor, checking for any loose straps or plates.

"How long did you serve those gods?" Zoe asked curiously.

"Thirteen years."

Zoe looked back at me and motioned for me to step closer. I complied with her request and came to a stop only two steps away and waited for her to speak first. "I know that milady asked you to watch out for us and make sure that we are safe. But the prophecy has called for at least two deaths to be given for the prophecy to be completed. I trust that you will understand in not being able to help prevent the deaths of my hunters or myself?"

"I do, lieutenant. Just as I am aware of your parentage." I replied softly.

She tilted her head in understanding and gave me a nod in return. "Will that be an issue?"

I gave her a reassuring look and shook my head. "Not unless you have a problem with me being a wolf for the entirety of this quest." I replied evenly.

That response got a small smile out of the lieutenant before she sobered up. The sun was peeking out of the horizon and lighting the nighttime sky, signaling the time that we needed to meet at the border of the camp to meet the others. Zoe gave me a nod before racing off to the hunters' camp to make sure her sisters were up and ready to go as I walked over to the border myself.

I could see that the daughter of Zeus was on her way with an exhausted expression already on her face. This was going to be a very annoying trip if she wasn't one of the casualties of the prophecy. Not wanting to even talk to the demigod, I shifted into my wolf form and laid down in front of the van that Chiron was letting us use to take for part of the way.

Within two minutes, all five of us were at the van ready to go. Zoe climbed into the driver's seat, apparently, since she had been driving since automobiles were built. Phoebe and Tracy were talking to each other in hushed tones and looking out of the window at the passing buildings. Thalia was asleep in the passenger seat, lightly snoring against the window. And I was laying down in the back part of the truck, drifting off to sleep, hoping that Annabeth was still alive.

"I'll save you, Annabeth. I won't stop till you're home."


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Purotekutā POV**

I woke up with a start as the van came to a stop, earning a laugh from Thalia and two of the other hunters, the lieutenant was the only one who didn't say anything, only looking at me through the rear-view mirror.

"Did you have a nightmare, mutt?" Thalia mocked, getting another round of laughs from the other two hunters. I ignored the tease and pushed the back door of the van open, surprising a family of four as they walked behind the vehicle.

"It's a puppy." A little girl rushed forward to try and pet me. Her parents held her back, but I tilted my head and slowly trotted closer. After hesitating a moment, the parents got closer nervously and let their daughter pet my fur. I guess I looked like a husky, instead of a wolf because of the Mist, but I didn't care.

I gave a soft bark and licked the hand that was rubbing behind my ear by the child, smiling when she giggled in return. The other questers strode up to get me when the parents started to talk to them about what kind of breed I was.

Thankfully, Zoe answered before the other girls could. "Husky. He's actually a lot older than you would think."

"Really, how old is he?" The little girl asked.

"He turned 18 last week, so he's an elderly lupine." Zoe answered with a light smile.

"Wow, you're right. I never would've guessed that. You girls have a good day." The mother answered before pulling her daughter away as they went over to a nearby museum.

The hunters nodded back at them and turned to face me where I was looking pointedly at them with my ears perked up. I cocked my head in the direction of a fast-food restaurant that I had been to on my travel towards America and tried once before.

"They won't let animals inside without them being service dogs." Thalia replied.

I had already prepared for this and trotted forward and poked the backpack I brought for the quest and looked at Zoe pointedly. She gave me a weird look and opened up the bag to smile at what was resting at the top of the bag.

It was a service dog vest, collar, leash and dark lensed sunglasses.

Phoebe smiled slyly and clipped the vest around my body as well as the collar and leash and gave the looped end to Zoe as she placed the sunglasses over her eyes. "Well played Perseus."

The other two hunters and Thalia quickly made their way into the restaurant to give Zoe a chance to enter and not draw suspicion. "Okay Perseus, play your part and I may just get you a treat." I gave a playful bark in return and heard a clipped laugh before her face became stony and we entered the building.

* * *

**3rd POV**

The rest of the quest traveled incident free all the way to Washington D.C. where they had train tickets that would take them to Chicago. Their plan was to travel to Chicago and then switch trains and ride the rest of the way.

Zoe parked the van at the train station which was located near the Smithsonian Mall of Museums. As they exited the van, Tracy pulled out their train tickets. "We have four hours to kill before our train leaves. We should get a snack to kill some time."

Everyone agreed as the group found their way into a small café inside the Smithsonian Mall. The four girls quickly found a booth before they noticed that the wolf was no longer with them.

"I told you bringing him was a bad idea." Thalia said from their booth.

"Maybe if you didn't try to cut him down every five minutes on the ride here then he might actually be willing to stick around to eat a meal with us." Tracy snapped at the daughter of Zeus.

It was weird to see a hunter of Artemis defend a male, but this one seemed to be the exact opposite of what males were described as. Lady Artemis herself had demanded that he be respected, and even Zoe seemed to be okay with him.

Phoebe's eyes narrowed at her fellow hunter. "He is nothing but a useless boy. He will only get in our way on this quest. We do not need that wolf to save our mistress; another hunter would have been a lot more useful than some teenage male."

"Enough Phoebe; I am the one who asked him to join the quest. Lady Artemis told me that he was to be treated with respect and I will not allow you to drive him away from this quest. Perseus is a member of this quest and my decision is final." Zoe growled.

Phoebe's eyes narrowed but she sat down in the booth without another word. Tracy and Thalia stared at Zoe in shock but a quick glare from the huntress caused them to quickly avert their eyes.

At that moment, Perseus stepped into the café and took a seat across from Zoe, instantly gaining glares and looks of disbelief from the other two hunters. "Where have you been?" Thalia snapped with a glare.

"Gathering intel." He responded calmly before looking over his shoulder to get a quick sweep of the room. He stopped in the direction of a body builder that was also staring back at him.

When Zoe saw who he was looking at, she too froze before reaching at the hunting knife strapped to her waist. "We need to leave…now."

At her statement, both hunters and Thalia quickly got up and rushed out of the restaurant before they realized that Zoe and Perseus were still inside. They stopped instantly and looked back, only to see the entire building explode in a massive fireball that knocked them to the ground.

* * *

(**seconds earlier inside)**

"What are you doing here?" Perseus growled as he rounded on Heracles once the two hunters and Thalia had left the restaurant building.

"You will bow before me as I am your step-father, even if your mother is a cheating bitch." Heracles snapped back with a shout.

"You will never be related to me. And leave my mother out of this!" Perseus raged as he made a waving hand gesture to Zoe. She caught his motion, but wasn't taking the chance to leave.

Instead, she chose to fire an arrow at Heracles, letting loose an enraged shout of fury. Heracles dodged the arrow and unsheathed the sword at his waistline before being blocked off by Perseus who had his hunting knives in a defensive stance.

"You should leave before the remaining party of your quest have to continue on without their leader and mutt." Heracles spat before sheathing his sword with an evil smirk on his face. In less than an instant, the entire building started to hum before the light inside started to get brighter.

"Cover your eyes!" Zoe yelled as she covered her own eyes, crouching down before being picked up by a set of strong arms and pulled out of the building, seconds before it exploded in a massive fireball with a thunderous echo.

* * *

**Present**

"What the Tartarus happened in there?!" Phoebe screeched as she ran up to where both Perseus and Zoe were getting up from the ground. They were both thrown from the volume of the blast behind them.

"We need to keep moving." Perseus said as he got to his feet, a couple of feet away from where the girls were trying to help Zoe get steady on her feet.

"Not until you tell us what just happened." Phoebe snapped at him.

A shout from a duo of police officers down the street caught their attention. "Get them!" Hearing the shout, they grabbed their weapons and took off towards the camp van, which was only a few yards away from where they were previously standing. They managed to get in and start the van before the officers could do anything to stop them, taking off down the road as another squad car tried to cut them off.

Once they made it out of Washington D.C. Phoebe turned to look squarely at Perseus with an angry scowl on her face. "What did you do to make that building explode _mutt_?"

"I didn't make the building explode." Perseus retorted with a huff.

"Then who did if it wasn't you?" Phoebe spat.

"The piece of shit himself, Heracles." Perseus snapped back at her.

That statement alone made the other hunter look at her lieutenant first, before turning back to Perseus. "Don't lie to us. I know all males worship that pig and want to be just like him."

"That male is the most disgusting and disrespectful piece of shit that I have ever come across. And I have come across my fair share of those males during my time in Japan. I saved many young children from adult males in their households because of abuse or neglect. I've faced many males like that disgrace. Sometimes it's better to be a wolf than a human." Perseus snarled before shifting back into a wolf and jumped out of the van's back door.

**Time skip**

"I still can't believe that you didn't kill the Manticore when you had the chance. Such a novice that you can't kill a monster right in front of you." Thalia spat as the group was trudging the junkyard of the gods.

"He had information that we could use." Perseus retorted with a huff as he was walking in his human form. He hadn't been a wolf for the past day as they were constantly being attacked by the skeleton warriors and several Cyclops.

"How can you possibly believe anything it had to say? Why would it tell you the truth?" Thalia looked at him, with nothing but resentment in her eyes as she stopped him with a hard slap across the face.

"He had information on Annabeth, considering that she's still alive." Perseus replied with an angry glare as pushed her back.

"This is unbelievable. You're still chasing after her like last night's dream! And that's exactly what it is. A fucking dream! She's dead! And the sooner you get that through your head the better off you'll be!" Thalia screamed in his face; her hands clenched tightly into fists.

"We don't know that for sure…" Perseus trailed off at Thalia's look, glancing around to the hunters staying silent. "Does everyone think that she's dead?"

Phoebe stayed silent and Zoe looked away, leaving the last hunter to nod her head. "Even if she survived the fall, she's deep in enemy territory. More than likely, she's being tortured as we speak."

"Face it, she's gone." Thalia snapped, turning away from Perseus.

"I'm not giving up on her. You have, but I won't." Perseus stubbornly decided, facing the lieutenant of the Hunt. "Are we setting up camp for the night?" Zoe only nodded and motioned for Phoebe to set up the tents as the other hunter started up a fire for them to keep warm.

That left Perseus by himself as Thalia walked away from the son of Hebe with a heated glare. "I know you're still alive Annabeth. I'm not giving up. I swear on the River Styx that I will rescue you from the Titan's grasp." Thunder blossomed overhead as the oath was made, but Perseus didn't care about the consequences.

Annabeth was his friend, and he would rather die than give up hope.

**A/N: Okay, I'm going to skip over most of the Titan's Curse because, honestly, it just gets really boring to read with every fanfic that I've read before. So don't be confused when you wonder about the time skip.**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**3rd POV**

Eventually though, like the group knew...all good things have to come to an end.

The first indication that the group had was an ear-wrenching screech that made Perseus cover his ears in order to save his eardrums any more pain. But he managed to ignore the pain and immediately pulling out his knives and turning around to face what was causing the loud noise.

Standing in front of them and towering a good thirty feet high was a monstrous bulk of celestial bronze and mortal steel. The machine had the same shape as a regular human, but unlike a regular human, was clad in another layer of celestial bronze armor and mortal steel.

After several seconds, Thalia broke the silence. "What the fuck is that?" The raven-haired daughter of Zeus yelled as she looked on at the towering pile of celestial bronze.

"Looks like a newer version of Talos probably designed to stop people..." Phoebe guessed.

"Who took something?!" Both Zoe and Perseus yelled at the same time. Their gazes immediately went to Phoebe and Tracy who held up their hands.

"It wasn't us!" They both yelled as the gigantic automaton slowly began to make its way towards them. Perseus and Zoe directed their glares at one another before quickly shaking aside any thoughts. Despite not knowing one another very long, they both could tell the other would never put the quest in danger on purpose. That left only one culprit.

"Thalia!" Zoe yelled as she raced towards the daughter of Zeus who had a look of madness on her face, holding a piece of scrap metal.

"Why would you do this?" Phoebe yelled out as Thalia pulled out her spear and shield, electricity crackling around her as she snapped her fingers. At the motion, a lightning bolt slammed down in front of the group and Thalia was teleported away.

"That fucking bitch!" Perseus yelled as the group ducked for cover as the bolt made all of them fly back from the force behind the impact.

"Anyone got any smart id-" But again, Zoe didn't get to finish her sentence as a gigantic celestial bronze sword thundered towards the ground where she was. Luckily her natural battle reflexes kicked in as she dived away from the gargantuan blade which created a huge smoke cloud when it connected.

After several seconds, Percy's voice rang out through the smoke. "Spread out!"

* * *

The moment those words rang out through the smoke, Tracy went to try and find the edge of the dust-cloud. After all, even though the thing was huge, not even she could see it through the ridiculous cloud of dust the bolt had produced.

Unfortunately, the young huntress had struck a pile of metal a little too hard and was rewarded for her life saving roll as her parka became snared on a lone piece of metal sticking out from a pile of unwanted trash. Needless to say, when she attempted to get up and run for it, the snare held her back enough for her to stumble when it finally ripped free and she crashed to the ground again. Only this time, the automaton had already begun his swing.

Seeing this, Tracy simply lowered her head and closed her eyes. There was no way she would be able to dodge the incoming swing. So she simply closed her eyes and waited...

For the swing that never came.

A massive thud was all he heard alongside a grunt of effort. Tracy thought she was dead but risked opening her eyes. And to say that what she saw merely shocked her, was a major understatement.

Perseus stood in front of her, a menacing fiery aura that chilled her very body to the bone encased the enigmatic son of Hebe. His hands were held out in front of him and his knives were nowhere to be seen. Instead, a thick, black shield held the sword of the wannabe Talos in place. She wanted to ask a million questions but her mind and tongue refused to co-operate.

"Tracy, get out of here now!" He yelled out the last part as the automaton's sword smashed into Perseus' barrier, causing white spider-web-like cracks to form in the barrier. Said huntress wasted no time as she sprinted like mad from underneath the barrier to re-join her comrades. Unfortunately, she only turned around to see the son of Hebe's barrier shatter like a window pane against a baseball as the Talos wannabe back-handed his shield, sending him soaring through the air and beyond their field of vision as he plowed into a massive heap of scrap.

"Perseus!" Zoe yelled out in fear as the motionless form hit the ground.

"Zoe, we need to deal with metal head here first!" Phoebe yelled over the deafening sound of the automaton's movements. After several more seconds of struggling, Zoe conceded to her point as she halted her struggles. But Tracy couldn't help but notice the look of concern that remained plastered to her face.

"Right everyone, we need to get some room between us an-" Everyone stopped and looked towards where Zoe was facing, and found themselves completely surrounded by three gargantuan piles of scrap.

Tracy followed the rest of the quest members as she closed her eyes and awaited the killing strike from the automaton that was now rearing its arm up in order to bring its blade down upon the remaining members of the quest. But what happened next though shocked her beyond words.

The first indication that she was the feeling of something raining down on her clothes. It was liquid but smelt strangely like...

'Oil!'

The next indication she was alive was an explosion that shook the ground before a crashing sound was heard. Slowly, Tracy opened her eyes and dropped her bow in shock. The once towering Talos wannabe had face planted on the ground. It's back torn apart, like a giant fist had pulled its insides out and then placed a bomb there.

Eventually, after several moments, the dust cleared, and almost immediately, everyone's thoughts went to one son of Hebe.

"PERSEUS!"

"Quit shouting would you. I'm in enough pain as it is." Asked an almost deathly quiet voice. Everyone's eyes snapped to the origin of the voice and began racing towards a considerably banged-up Perseus. His right arm sleeve was completely missing and his arm was nothing but a river of blood. His shirt was ripped and torn and he had several deep cuts running across his body. His face had a couple of new cuts on it, but other than that, he seemed alright. He took several steps forwards...

Before falling face first to the ground.

Tracy was the first person to reach the fallen Perseus. His breathing was shallow and raspy and he looked like death warmed over. The young huntress skidded on her knees to his side.

"Perseus!" She shouted. When he didn't respond, Tracy began to search his body for any severe wounds or other such injuries that may have led to his unresponsive state. It only took her several seconds to spot the massive piece of jagged metal sticking from his lower back, a steady river of blood dripping from the wound.

_How the hell did he manage to walk with that in his back? _Tracy felt her respect for the son of Hebe grow immensely when she realized this. To have such a pain threshold and still only worry about other's safety first.

_What if he had overexerted himself doing this? I won't let anyone die if I can help it! _Tracy roared in her mind as she immediately bought out her medical supplies and began rummaging around her bag for a flask of nectar.

"Perseus!" Zoe yelled as she and Phoebe came sliding to a halt next to the fallen son of Hebe.

"Get back! I need some room here!" Tracy snapped, causing the members of the quest to go wide-eyed at her response to their arrival. But right now Tracy didn't care about what they thought. In front of her was a young man that, despite her hatred of men, she had to heal.

"Zoe, I need you to help me." Tracy said as calmly as she possibly could. Said huntress raced to her sister's side and nodded her head, indicating she was ready to do what would be needed.

"When I say so, I need you to pull out that jagged bit of metal so that I can clean the wound with nectar and then get to work stitching the wound up. It's too severe to be dealt with by just nectar. I need to physically close the wound." Tracy said calmly.

Zoe nodded her head, and, on Tracy's countdown, removed the jagged, bloody piece of metal from Perseus' lower back.

The moment the metal left his lower back, Diana immediately poured nectar into the wound, disinfecting it while stopping the blood flow from the wound. Seeing her task complete, Diana delved back into her supplies and pulled out a needle and combat stitching kit before setting out to work.

To say that the task was grim would be an understatement. Tracy not only had to focus on a nasty injury but she also had to work within the confines of Perseus' ripped clothing lest she aggravate the wound even more.

_Why did you save me Perseus? You could have left me for dead but instead you put your own at risk?_

Eventually, after what seemed like hours, Tracy finally managed to seal the wound; her hands trembling as she slowly rolled Perseus over and began to check his front for any severe wounds. The son of Hebe's jacket was torn to pieces, his breathing almost incomprehensibly slow. His torso was covered with small cuts and large, painful looking bruises on his ghostly like skin. Like at one point, he had been thoroughly tortured.

Eventually, the smaller wounds were closed up and he seemed a lot more stable. It wasn't long before he was conscious, but sleeping, based on the deep breaths he was taking…

He's alive.

**A/N: Okay, I know that I've ended this chapter shorter than the past. But I promise you that the next one is action packed and drama-filled, as well as longer than normal to make up for it. I've also decided on the story's end...you might like it...you might not.**


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**At the foot of Mt. Orthyrs**

**3rd POV**

Zoe looked absolutely petrified, even if she herself would never admit it. Perseus knew that the garden of Hesperides was a little bit past the ridge they stood on now. He couldn't imagine what it was like to square off against those that you once called your own flesh and blood. Sisters.

Yet he was about to find out along with the rest of the members of the quest group.

Perseus gave Zoe a gentle nudge of encouragement. And said huntress looked at him with panic in her eyes but it all seemed to fade away the moment her gaze met his; pained volcanic-black vs. tired sea-green.

"Zoe, I know this is difficult for you but remember that we are all here for you. We are all in this till the bitter end, no matter what." Perseus smiled as he watched Phoebe and Tracy nod their agreements.

"Lady Artemis!"

The goddess of the hunt looked pretty beaten up if all truth be told. Her clothing was cut and torn in several places and her entire body was covered in sweat and grim. Her face was ever so slightly twisted in pain as she knelt down on one knee whilst the single greatest weight in the entire world rested upon her shoulders.

The weight of the sky.

And standing off to the right of the struggling goddess was the mastermind of the entire kidnapping. He stood at a gargantuan seven feet tall and his very presence seemed to demand respect and obedience from those he led. His hulking frame was clad in a set of old Greek-style armor, whilst a heavy spear sat lazily in his right hand and a massive shield was slung across his shoulders.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my traitorous daughter and her freaky little friends!" The Titan of strength shouted out to the heavens themselves before returning his almost animalistic gaze back upon the weary quest members. "A daughter of Ares, and a daughter of Apollo. Both hunters."

"Pathetic!" He yelled as his face took on an expression of pure fury before smashing the ground with his spear. Percy managed to brace his legs just in time, as the earth itself began to shake violently from the Titan's display of strength. The others were less lucky and fell over, all of them barely managing to stop their heads smacking into the ground with their own hands of weapons.

When he realized who was left standing, the Titan could barely control the glee in his voice as he levelled the spear tip at Perseus. A shit-eating grin spread across his face and his eyes seemed to burn with excitement. "And then there's you. The only male member of the quest…" The Titan paused for several seconds as he seemed to sniff the air before he continued, "…and you are by far the most powerful member of this shitty little group."

Perseus narrowed his eyes at the Titan of strength as he made eye contact and rolled his shoulders as he summoned his armor and weapons to appear.

"Nice armor you've got yourself there, boy. It's going to look really nice in my palace once we've conquered the pathetic gods of your world." Atlas snarled as his own eyes narrowed slightly.

Atlas brought his shield up and levelled his spear at Perseus before calling out. "Luke! Bring out our ally and prisoner!"

Perseus snarled as the sickly boy from the Museum waltzed out from behind a small outcropping of bricks and rocks that marked the start of Mt. Orthyrs. The son of Hermes readied himself with a few swings of his sword before calling out to the group of heroes.

"You've all done so well to get so far! Join us and help bring about the end of the Olympians vile reign of terror! Throw down your weapons and swear allegiance to lord Kronos and I swear on the Styx that you will be welcomed with open arms and not mistreated!" Everyone's eyes widened slightly as the traditional rumble of thunder sealed the oath.

Percy briefly turned to see Annabeth in chains and bleeding from various cuts all over her body. She was being held up by Thalia, who held her spear at Annabeth's throat.

The ancient son of Hebe chuckled slightly before calling out to the traitorous daughter of Zeus and son of Hermes. "Fuck off you limp-dicked bastard! The only way we'll go anywhere willingly with you is if we're dead. And trust me that is NOT going to happen. Besides, your girlfriend will find herself dead by the end of the hour if I have anything to say about it."

Luke looked at Perseus with a murderous glare and looked ready to charge at Perseus but he was cut off from doing anything stupid by Atlas' voice. "The spawn of Hebe is mine!" Atlas yelled as he began to make his way towards Perseus.

"Zoe. I need you and the others to deal with those idiots as fast as possible and find a way to free Lady Artemis so that we can deal with this bastard." Perseus stated as calmly as possible.

"Perseus, he'll kill you!"

"Deal with those guys first! Atlas has no idea who he's messing with!" Perseus yelled, before charging straight at Atlas.

His entire existence was based around fighting and killing. And as such, he strove to find the best opponents he possibly could so he could challenge his skills to their limits. And what better way to test all of your combat skills then to fight against a fucking Titan who was once commander of the most fearsome army on earth?

Perseus felt his heartbeat increase as he slowed his charge towards the towering form of Atlas as he began readying his feet for their opening exchange. This was arguably the most important part of any fight, as it allowed you to gauge some of your opponent's strengths and weaknesses. You could find flaws from which leg they used to initiate movement most often, which types of strikes held the most power/technique behind them.

And Perseus definitely knew what he was looking for.

The two combatants slowed down until they came to a halt several meters away from one another. Perseus grinned in an almost feral nature as Atlas grew bored of their waiting game and launched himself forwards with a shout of anger. He felt the tension in his muscles increase until Atlas committed himself to an opening thrust with his celestial bronze/steel headed spear.

The moment the movement started, Percy forced his coiled leg muscles to react as he dove swiftly out of the way to the right-hand side of Atlas. And although the move sent pain coursing through the son of Hebe's back, his move still resulted in sending the hulking form of the Titan of strength hurtling past. Then with years of practiced ease, Perseus drove one of his axe blades deep into one of Atlas's flesh.

The result was a yelp of pain from the Titan, as his right calf muscle was clipped by the hunting knife in hand, sending a small splash of golden ichor onto a nearby rock. The attack would have been far more devastating had the burly Titan not managed to throw his spear back, in time and knock the attack off-course.

Pivoting on his left foot, Perseus brought his other hunting knife around in time to redirect a vicious attack from Atlas that brought about a resounding clang and screech as metal collided with metal.

Gritting his teeth and driving his right leg backwards, Perseus gave a small grunt of effort as he felt the Titan of strength drive his shield into Perseus' blades. The son of Hebe barely able to not be thrown back from the amount of force used.

However, not one to be out done in a show of strength, the son of Hebe crouched down and then quickly exploded back upwards, and almost let out a chuckle of delight as he summoned a shield of his own, on his arm and smashed it into Atlas' jaw, sending golden ichor flying and the Titan of strength hurtling back several feet.

He grinned as he raced forward with the speed of a viper, his spear back, ready to deliver another strike to Atlas' body, but he was forced to dive off to the left as the spearhead of Atlas' own weapon almost impaled him.

Atlas let out an almost animalistic growl as he charged forwards. However unlike last time, Perseus didn't roll out of the way, and instead met the general of the Titan army in a vicious dance. Each combatant weaved in and out of the others thrusts and side swipes with a grace that only a true fighter would appreciate. They would block and parry, thrust and dart, side swipe and kick.

The first blood of this second exchange was again drawn by Perseus. He began by sending a feint attack to the Titan general's head, who went to block with his own spear. This left him off-balance as Perseus smashed his shield into the Titan's unguarded gut before sending an axe in a low sweeping attack, which managed to catch the inside of Atlas' right ankle.

This was repaid by Atlas several seconds later as the Titan of strength drove his spear home so forcefully that the attack punctured Perseus' faithful shield and ripped through the plating on Perseus' left shoulder. Luckily the attack only grazed the son of Hebe, who used the fact that the spear was now stuck in his shield to snap the head of the spear off around a third of the way down the weapons' shaft.

Perseus risked a glance over his shield and barely managed to duck his head back down as the familiar sound of air being sliced by a sharpened blade rang in his ears alerted him to Atlas's attempt to remove his head with a Celestial bronze sword.

However, one of his hunting knives wasn't as lucky, and he had to bite back a groan as he heard the tell-tale thump of the head of one of his weapons hitting the floor.

Perseus winced slightly as another aching pain flowed from his lower back and forced the ancient son of Hades to grit his teeth as summoned his replacement sword from his father. "Shit, looks like that Talos fucked me over more than Tracy said it did."

Crouching down slightly, Perseus re-fixed his gaze on the pissed-off Titan in-front of him.

"You're not half-bad at fighting kid, I'll give you that. Heck you may force me to go all out on your sorry ass." He growled out to Perseus, who just cocked a hidden eyebrow at the Titan's admittance… and decided to goad him a bit more.

"Shame that I can't say the same for you, Atlas. Heck, you've done well if you manage to push me to a third of my true power."

Atlas roared in outrage and shot towards him with an impressive amount of speed, forcing Perseus backwards with a series of vicious blows that Perseus struggled to follow in his weakened state.

Using more of his stamina, Perseus forced himself to duck right-behind the madly swinging Atlas, and he managed to drive his remaining axe's viciously sharp edge down the Titan's muscled back, leaving a huge gash, before being forced to throw himself backwards to avoid the reverse strike Atlas launched at him.

Landing on his back, Percy finally let out a yelp of pain as his back exploded in pain as he smashed his still-wounded lower back onto the rocky surface below him. The pain was so intense that it caused his vision to begin swimming.

However, he did manage to recover enough to force his aching body to roll to the side and avoid the earth-shattering blow that would have cleaved him in-half. Unfortunately, the resulting shockwave sent Perseus flying away several meters.

The impact with the ground once again sent pain arching through every vein in Perseus' body. Somehow, through years of experience and a stubborn will, Perseus managed to force his body to its feet. He looked up to see Thalia standing in front of him, her spear leveled at his throat.

"Care to try your luck against me, mutt?" Thalia spat as she pulled her shield out and squared off against Perseus, glaring at the demigod in front of her.

"Time to show you who the best demigod truly is." Perseus retorted, pulling out his katana and crouching low to the ground in a ready stance.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**3rd POV**

Perseus stayed in a low crouch as Thalia lunged forward and made a stab at his waist with her spear but kept her side covered by her shield. Not being able to find anywhere to strike, he ducked the swing and did a baseball slide to stand behind her and slashed at her foot with his katana.

Thalia pulled her leg up over the strike, but it left her off balance and she wasn't ready for the strikes in quick succession of each other. Perseus struck her side twice as she tried to dance around his strikes, leaving two deep gashes along her body.

Around the battlefield, Phoebe was squaring off against Luke in a knives-sword battle while Zoe was taking out the remaining monsters and helping out her fellow hunter face off against the son of Hermes. They made sure to keep Atlas from getting too close, so they wouldn't have to worry about the Titan ambushing them. Tracy was freeing Annabeth of her shackles and feeding her ambrosia as she started to treat the daughter of Athena's wounds.

Using a dirty move, Thalia crouched down to throw dirt into the eyes of her opponent as she lunged. She used his disorientation as a chance and managed to stab him in the side, just missing the edge of his armor.

But before she could pull her weapon free, Perseus let out a loud growl and snatched the spear out of her hands and hit her in the cheek with the shaft, swinging it like a baseball bat. "You want to play dirty? Fine, I'll still beat you anyways." He spat, throwing the spear high into the air and forced Thalia back with a slash of his katana.

"You're a disgrace to all demigods around. Even more so than your friend, Luke, over there." Perseus growled as he managed to strike her shield arm and separate Thalia from her shield with a sickening crack as he broke her arm with a well-placed strike.

"Stupid mutt!" Thalia groaned out as she clutched at her bleeding arm and tried to punch him.

But Perseus caught her arm by the wrist and sliced off her hand with his katana before kicking her onto her back right as the point of the spear came down in a straight line, landing on the ground with a thud.

"You made your decision to have your friend be kidnapped and tortured for the sake of your boyfriend. You deserve much worse than you got. May the judges hold you in Eternal Punishment." Perseus muttered as he turned away from the unmoving daughter of Zeus.

The spearhead had landed in Thalia's throat, instantly silencing her cries of pain.

"Thalia!" Luke yelled out as he managed to disarm Phoebe and push her back. He looked over to me, his face red with fury and outrage. "You'll pay for her death Perseus, even if it's the last thing I ever do!"

* * *

**Purotekutāyūsu POV**

Atlas let out a booming laugh as he summoned his armor and spear, his eyes quickly locking onto my own. "It seems that your actions will be your own downfall, 'wolf of youth'."

"How did they know what you were referred to at camp?" I heard Zoe mutter, making me turn to face her, giving an expression of dread.

There is a spy at camp.

"Tracy, pull her out of the fight." I yelled at the hunter who was treating Annabeth. I received a weird look, but she still did as I asked. I had a crazy plan, but I could only hope that it worked as I was hoping it would. I turned back to Zoe. "Can you and Phoebe hold him off for a minute?" I got a nod of determination back and the huntress raced over to her friend with a yell.

I quickly made my over to the trapped goddess who was stuck holding up the sky and knelt at her feet. Taking a breath, I slashed through her chains with my knives and positioned myself next to her as she faced me in shock at what I was doing.

"You aren't strong enough Perseus. The weight alone will kill you." She tried to protest.

But I shook my head and placed my hands under the weight of the sky and squared my shoulders. "We will all be killed if Atlas isn't dealt with. And you are the only one that can stop him, Lady Artemis."

A cry of anguish and pain caught our attention as Atlas stood over his daughter with a look of glee on his face. His spear was imbedded in Zoe's back, the head of the weapon was sticking out, beneath the base of her throat. "Finally, after all this time I will no longer have to deal with your insolence." He boomed with glee and pulled his weapon free, and turning to face Phoebe.

"Be ready." Artemis' voice caught my attention as she steadily dropped out of holding up the sky and rolled towards the distracted Titan's back. "For Zoe!" She cried and leapt at the Titan's back, driving her knives hilt deep and tackling him to the ground with a yell.

I could barely see as the weight of the sky was making me dizzy with pain and exhaustion. Maybe I should've put more thought to this plan, because I could feel my strength falling apart with every passing second.

_"Never lose hope my son. I believe in you, Purotekutāyūsu."_ A voice chimed in my mind, giving me a surge of adrenaline at my mother's voice. I could feel myself start to push the sky's weight higher as I got to my feet and held the sky with outstretched hands.

When I opened up my eyes, I could see shocked eyes and expressions of both hunters as they looked in my direction, as well as a blushing Annabeth as she was staring at me. I shifted my grip on the weight as I heard Artemis whisper in my direction.

"Be ready."

I didn't have time to react as Atlas' body collided with my own and I let myself be pushed out of the way, releasing a breath of relief. I tumbled a couple of times before coming to a stop in a dazed heap.

"Percy…Percy…Percy." I rolled over as I heard my name being called, but couldn't tell where exactly the voice was coming from.

A blonde-haired face pushed her way into my line of sight and pulled me up as she wrapped her arms around me with a choked sob. I couldn't hear what exactly what she was saying, but I knew she was talking. I placed a hand on the back of her head, getting her attention as she pulled back to look at me with a gasp. I reached forward and wiped the tears from her face with the back of my thumb. "I'm so glad to see that you're alright."

Annabeth nodded and grabbed my hand with her own and kissed the back of my knuckles with a light giggle and pulled me up to my feet.

"Zoe." I remembered, pulling Annabeth over to where the lieutenant of the Hunt was taking her last breath. Her wounds were fatal, not even Apollo could've healed her when she was struck. I kneeled beside her and ducked my head. "I'm so sorry."

She shook her head lightly. "It was foretold in the prophecy, Purotekutāyūsu. I am glad…that I was a-able…to serve m-milady for as…l-long a-as I did. And I-I h-hope that I…can c-consider y-you…as m-my friend." She locked her gaze with mine and I nodded wordlessly, feeling a tear make its way down my face as her eyes dropped and she exhaled for the last time.

Artemis closed her lieutenant's eyes and muttered something beneath her breath. Seconds later, Zoe's body dissolved into golden dust as it rose to the sky and took the shape of a huntress, as it tinkled once before disappearing from sight.

"I have to get back to Olympus instantly, so this one time I will allow the rest of you to come with me in my chariot." Artemis' tone ordered no nonsense, and everyone filed into her chariot as it came to rest in front of us.

There wasn't enough space for all of us, so Annabeth sat on my lap, sideways, but facing me as her head dropped onto my shoulder with a sigh. "Promise me something." I looked at her closely as I heard her say my full name.

"Promise that you will never leave me the way that Thalia and Luke did. I don't think I will be able to live with myself if you leave." She whispered softly, and my heart broke at her words.

"I promise that I will never leave you, Annabeth. This is I swear upon the stars, the seas, and my name for the rest of my life. I never gave up hope when you were taken, and I never intend to start now." I promised with a whisper and rested my chin on the top of her head.

"What do you mean?" Annabeth breathed.

"I may not have known you for long, but I cannot deny it to you or myself anymore. I like you, Annabeth. And I want to do everything in my power to give you a life full of love." I revealed to her as I could feel my nerves start to show.

I felt her press a kiss to my neck, catching me off guard and I pulled back with a questioning look. Annabeth smiled back at me. "I like you too, Perseus. As more than friends." She clarified as she pressed another kiss to my cheek with a blush.

"Stop it you two. As much as I think you'll make a great couple, I draw the line at PDA." Tracy blurted, reminding the both of us that we weren't alone. "We're approaching Olympus, you might want to get ready to move."

* * *

**Annabeth POV**

The Olympian Council was in the middle of recounting the quest's events when the first argument broke out. Zeus was still quite angry when it was revealed that Thalia betrayed us and was working for the Titan Lord. He tried to pin the blame on Perseus, by defending his daughter and saying the she was a spy, but still on our side.

No one believed him and that's when Perseus stepped into the argument.

"She verbally admitted to Phoebe, Tracy and myself that she was working against us when she purposefully initiated the wannabe Talos figure in the Junkyard. Then, she attacked us on the mountaintop once we arrived at Mount Othrys. As much as you don't want to admit it, your daughter betrayed all of us. And she paid for her betrayal with her life." Perseus informed as he stood in front of the Olympian Council, his voice staying firm.

"Who killed her?" Poseidon asked as he looked Perseus over.

"I did."

"WHAT?!" Zeus roared as he stood from his throne and made a reach for his Master bolt. But he was pushed back into his seat by Hera and was cast a dark glare from the Queen of Olympus. After taking a deep breath and looking away from his wife, he gestured for Perseus to explain.

"She attacked me when the battle started and used dirty tricks to try and beat me. But in the end, she was killed by her own spear." Perseus recounted, keeping his tone calm.

"He is telling the truth." Apollo spoke from his throne. His statement caused many of the Olympians to shift in their seats.

"Even though he is not a child of the Big Three, he is a great threat to us." Ares roared out. "We should kill him."


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Annabeth POV**

That last statement alone caused an uproar. Voices boomed as two sides were quickly formed in for and against the statement made. It got so loud that Zeus had to silence everyone by thrusting his Master Bolt into the air and yelling for silence.

"Is there any reason why we should keep the boy alive?" Zeus questioned, looking around.

"Perseus is by far the most skilled demigod I have ever seen. As much as I despise males, he has never given me a reason to doubt his actions. He even held up the sky so I could defend my hunters from Atlas' assault. In his time with the Japanese gods, he must've been extensively trained, based on his abilities. In addition, he swore an oath to me that he wouldn't endanger the lives of my hunters in my absence. And he has done such." Artemis defended Perseus, getting many looks of shock as a man-hating maiden goddess to be defending a male.

My mother was the next one to speak up. "But who's to say what he will do now that he is free of his oath. Did he swear to always remain loyal to Olympus, or to you for that matter?"

"Mother." I protested, but stopped at a single look from her.

"He is quite powerful, even as a son of Hebe. And there's no telling what kind of damage he could do if he was on his own. He hasn't sworn an oath of loyalty to us." Athena continued.

"We will put this to a vote. All those who say that the boy should live, rise you hand silently."

At once, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, Hermes, Artemis, Apollo and Aphrodite, raised their hands in the vote to keep Perseus alive.

"And those who wish to see him killed." At this, Zeus, Ares, Athena and Dionysus raised their hands with Hephaestus abstaining from the vote to make it 7 to 4, in favor of letting Perseus live.

"At this vote, the meeting is adjourned; let the party begin." Zeus grumbled as everyone leapt from their seats and teleported towards the other room as music blared all around the room.

At the same second that the meeting ended, Perseus was pulled into a fierce hug by someone I didn't recognize, but I relaxed when I heard him say "mother". He looked up to lock gazes with me and gestured for me to come closer. "Mom, this is Annabeth.

"Lady Hebe." I greeted politely, but she waved away my greeting and swept me up into a friendly hug.

"None of that, please. Just Hebe, dear." She responded with a warm smile and looked up at hearing her name. "Please excuse me, I hear Hestia calling for me." Hebe said as she left the two of us alone with a wink.

"So…" I trailed off when I looked at Percy with a flustered expression, relieved to see that he was also red in the face. But he recovered before it became awkward and took my hands in his and gestured towards the balcony.

"Are we boyfriend and girlfriend, now?" Perseus asked softly.

"I guess? I've never had one before." I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

"Me neither." He responded, shocking me.

"Wait…never?" I asked, stepping closer to him. "How is that even possible?"

"When I was in Japan, all of my life was put towards training and missions. I never wanted to get with someone and not be able to explain why I was always running off at all times of the day. It wouldn't be fair to my partner if I was in a relationship. Plus it didn't hurt that I never felt anything towards the people I interacted with." Perseus explained, thumbing over the back of my knuckles, aimlessly.

"That's an honorable way to go about it." A voice behind us spoke, prompting the both of us to whirl around and face the smiling goddess. It was Aphrodite, the love goddess.

Of course it was her.

"I don't believe we've been introduced, I'm Aphrodite, the Olympian goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, passion and procreation." Aphrodite introduced herself with a grin.

"I know why you're here, Lady Aphrodite. And I'm not interested." Perseus firmly spoke.

Aphrodite let out a mocking laugh as she took a step forward and narrowed her eyes onto Perseus, the air becoming hot with tension. Her eyes seemed to be trying to burn holes through him. "No one refuses my company, demigod. You have no choice but to join me for the night."

I could hear the charmspeak drooling from her words, and for a second I thought she was talking to me. But I shook my head and saw that Perseus was smiling at her, but it was a fake. "You are right, I don't have a choice here." He said, walking past her and pulling me close to him as he pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I already made my choice, and I will never break my promise."

"You would defy an Olympian goddess for the sake of some girl?" Aphrodite gasped in shock and outrage as she strode towards him. "That's an unwise decision, demigod. I firmly believed that you were smarter than that." She claimed, walking away from us with a huff.

I was speechless. Aphrodite is notorious for always getting the people she wants. And Perseus brushed off her charmspeak like it was nothing.

He must've seen my expression because he let out a chuckle and took my hands in his. "When I was fourteen, I asked Yue-Lao, a Japanese male god of love, to make sure I was never swayed by the words of a female I wanted no attention from. He informed me that it would carry through any pantheon I came across, and I affirmed my request."

I could only shake my head at him with a soft smile on my face as I yanked him by the front of his shirt with a tug. He let out a yelp, one that sounded almost like it came out of a dog, but was silenced as I crashed my lips into his.

He instantly reacted and cupped my face with one hand as the other rested on my hip. I felt his tongue brush against my lower lip, begging for entrance. And I happily complied. His tongue slid into my mouth and pulled my tongue into a slow sensual dance.

Percy moved the both of us over so that I was pressed into the pillar with his body boxing me in, one leg between mine. He moved his head to the side so that he could deepen the kiss even further. I felt one of his hands tangle in my hair while the other traced lightly over my side. My hands were around his neck, pulling him even closer to me. There was no way that a simple kiss should have felt that amazing.

Much less my first kiss being like this.

I felt his lips leave mine as he began a slow trail of kisses down my throat, his teeth grazed my pulse point. I gasped and bucked up into him at the sensation. He moaned at my reaction and began sucking on my neck. I shuddered at the sensations coursing through my body. I felt my body curve up against his and I heard him groan louder.

We froze for a moment. He pulled away so that he could look at me. I meet his gaze and I could see his emotions flowing through his expressive eyes, those primarily being love and hesitancy. I could tell that if I asked him too, he would immediately stop.

But before my mind could even start to think on responding to him, his lips were back on mine. I could feel that his movement were a lot slower than they had been before. I knew that he didn't want to feel like he was rushing me.

I moved us around so that he was the one being pressed into the pillar. I could tell he was surprised but he didn't try to switch our positions. This time it was me who was running my tongue over his lips and he willingly allowed me to explore his mouth. I could feel that he was holding himself back from trying to reclaim the kiss. I contemplated allowing him, but I knew that he wouldn't feel comfortable accelerating our relationship. He would be worried that he was pushing me, even though I knew exactly what I wanted right now.

I felt him still for a moment but he began to move again. His hands were slowly making their way up and down my sides. After a minute or so, to give him time to get used to my actions, I began to gently roll my hips against him. His pause was longer this time but he eventually responded. He rolled us back around once more with both of my legs straddling his waist.

He leaned down and started nibbling on my neck. He slowly thrust his crotch against me. I gasped at the feeling as my body once again curved against his. We both let out a moan at the feeling of our crotches colliding together.

I felt him bury his face into the crook of my neck as he thrust against me. We were both shivering and gasping at the sensations as he began a slow, steady, tempo. He kissed me again, harder and more demanding than before.

Feeling especially bold, I allowed my hands to slide down his back. When I reached the edge of his shirt, I slid my hands underneath to brush against his scarred back. He once again paused to pull back and look at me. I leaned up and nipped at his bottom lip as my hands slid further up his back.

"Oh my gods!" A high-pitched voice tore the both of us out of motions and we froze for a second before looking over to where Hebe and Hestia were standing. They each had a hand over their mouths and their eyes were wide in shock.

I got down from my position in Percy's lap and stood next to him, both of our faces aflame with embarrassment. Perseus cleared his throat and placed an arm around my waist. "What is it that you came to talk to us about?"

"I wanted to ask the both of you if you would become my champions." Hestia informed.

I looked at Perseus in shock, getting a nod from him with a smile. "We accept, Lady Hestia." I said politely with a light bow. "But I must ask why I was asked. Perseus is surely more of a candidate than I." I asked shyly.

Hestia gave me a warm smile that made me relax. "I believe that the two of you will lead the army of Camp Half-Blood against the Titan army. You will both need all of the help you can get, considering that we still don't know who the prophecy child is." Hestia explained with a gentle smile.

"Actually, I do." Perseus responded with a shaky voice.

"Who?" I asked, confused.

"Bianca and Nico are children of Lord Hades. Since Bianca is now a huntress, forever living at fifteen years old, Nico is next in line. Even though he's barely twelve, he is the only child of the Big Three that we know of." Perseus explained with a wary look as he checked our surroundings.

"How long have you known?" Hestia asked, not sounding at all surprised.

"Since meeting them. I was taught how to recognize auras when I was twelve by my mentors. There is a dark cloud of death around them, even though they haven't killed anyone, it's simply because of who their father is." Perseus replied, rolling his shoulders.

Hestia glanced at me before laying a hand on my shoulder. "You both should go back to camp and get some much-needed sleep. I will arrange for you both to get some food before arriving at camp." She said softly, pressing an envelope into Percy's hand before leaving us alone.

Perseus opened up the envelope and found twenty dollars in mortal money and directions towards a local pizza place that I had grown to love during my time adjusting to camp life.

"C'mon, I'll make sure we don't get lost." I said with a smile as Perseus linked our hands together and we walked out of the Olympus throne room.

* * *

**Oh my gods...guys I am so sorry for being away for so long. Truly I hadn't even been on fanfiction for about a month with everything starting back up again. So much has happened in the past three months that I kinda forgot about my stories.**

**Remember that there is only one more chapter left...**

**Keep it real peeps! **


	14. Chapter 13: The End!

Of course it's very embarrassing to realize that it's been over a month and a half since I thought I had posted the last chapter of the story.

**Chapter 13**

**6 months later**

**Annabeth POV**

Summer was arriving in one week and I couldn't be happier at the prospect of going back to Camp Half-Blood. I had spent the entire school year back in California, in an all-girl prep school designed to get us into college easier, transition-wise. On top of that I was back to living with my father and stepmother.

But at least I got to bring Perseus with me. When he heard that I was going to California with my family that I didn't really get along with, he offered to come with me. And I had told him that it was sweet of him to offer, but I couldn't accept.

That was until he shifted into his wolf form and whined at me with those large eyes, ears drooped to the side and lip pushed forward. There was no way I could say no to him like that. But when I asked him how this was going to work, he told me that he would stay in lupine form around my family. And it seemed to work because they instantly accepted him as a husky, thanks to the Mist.

Of course, Perseus wasn't always able to be around. He had received a couple of missions from Hestia, Artemis and several other gods that requested his help in rescuing their children from abusive homes. Perseus was happy to do so, but I could tell that it was taking a toll on him.

Thankfully, we were able to get some alone time for the both of us during my Spring break.

**_Flashback_**

School had just let out when I heard a motorcycle engine rev close by. I looked up to see Perseus on the bike, dressed in black leathers from head to toe. An extra helmet on the seat behind him and his own at his side. He was driving a brand-new silver Kawasaki Ninja H2R with green stripes down the sides.

I could hear the gasps and catcalls around me as I rushed up to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. He pressed his lips to mine and I felt myself be lifted off the ground, giggling at his action. He set me down and smiled before handing me the spare helmet. "Ready for a surprise?" He asked softly.

"No." I answered truthfully, getting a laugh from him.

"Hold on." He said, starting up the motorcycle.

I wrapped my arms around his chest, burying my face into his shoulder as we took off down the street. I instantly noticed that we weren't going towards my house, so I assumed that his surprise was elsewhere. I watched as we passed everyone on the freeway, zooming along in speeds that would make my father pee himself.

The only thing I could think about was how the vibrations were stimulating the insides of my thighs. I faced away from Perseus as I pulled off my helmet, hoping that he wouldn't catch my flustered self.

But judging from his smiling face and teasing lip-biting, he was well aware. He pulled me close and kissed me soundly, though I could feel his hands sneaking their way down my sides. I let out a tiny squeal as he cupped my backside and gave a tiny squeeze.

He chuckled against my lips as I tried to push him back, but he still released me from his grasp and laid an arm around my waist. He opened the door to the restaurant and whispered into my ear as we stepped inside. "After we get back home, I'll help you relieve some stress."

**_Flashback End_**

We had a couple of intense sessions, but we never went all the way, because we were both so new to everything. He still spent every night with me, curled around me, his face buried in the crook of my neck from behind with his hands holding my own. I was going to miss sleeping in bed together, since that wasn't allowed at camp, but that just means that we will have to find time for ourselves.

Of course, Perseus has been visiting Nico at camp once a week, to keep his promise. From what he's told me, Nico's a natural with the sword, and he's getting really good with his demigod powers, namely shadow travel and umbrakinetic. Since he's the child of the prophecy, he's been getting a lot of help from Chiron and my boyfriend in both battle tactics and combat, in preparation for the upcoming war.

We still have four years until the prophecy comes to fruition, but we can't afford to be caught unaware of what the enemy may try to do.

Perseus made a lot of enemies, namely Zeus when he killed Thalia. But there have been more warnings cast his way since arriving at camp. Clarisse is one of the forefront runners of the group that has decided not to be friendly with Percy. But she was never very friendly with others, so I wasn't surprised.

Since Perseus' godly parent isn't one of the Olympians, he was welcomed amongst the unclaimed kids with open arms. He's even become their unofficial leader/head counselor, much to the displeasure of the Stoll brothers. Although it wasn't his intention, it caused a sizeable rift between the unclaimed kids and the Hermes cabin.

"Hey beautiful." Percy's voice pulled me out of my thoughts as I turned around to see him leaning against the doorway of my house.

"Hey yourself." I quipped with a giggle as he wrapped me in a soothing hug.

"You ready for next week?" He asked, pressing a kiss to my temple.

"Kind of. I'm gonna miss sleeping in the same bed together, but I'm excited to see everyone again. And it will be funny to see people's reactions when they find out about our new powers." I responded lightly.

"I got a surprise for you." Perseus blurted, taking my hand in his as he pulled me away from the house. "Do you trust me?"

"With my life."

**3rd POV**

"What's going on here?" Annabeth asked, a pointed look on her face as we walked into the karaoke bar that Perseus had found this past month.

Percy took her hands in his. "You know how I've been distracted lately and have been more tired than normal. This is what it's been for, and I know you're going to love it. It's something that I've been working on for this past month." Percy explained before pressing a kiss to her forehead before making his way to the front of the crowd and hopping on stage.

Percy looked over at the hostess and gave her a nod before the blonde passed him a beautiful guitar, attaching a small mic to the neck of the instrument and another one to the collar of his shirt. He took a step back and gave a thumbs-up to the man that brought out a wooden stool for Percy to sit on.

"This is for my Wise-Girl." Percy said into the mic before giving a nod to where the hostess was standing next to a computer.

As the first seconds of music started up, Percy started to strum on the guitar and locked eyes his girlfriend, who was standing next to his mother and had her hands over her mouth in shock.

_Work all day, work all night_

_Might not get no sleep tonight_

_Baby, can you stay up?_

_We could talk, we could dance_

_Don't matter the circumstance_

_We don't let it change us_

_That's the beautiful thing about us_

_'Fore all the diamonds and rings, we got trust_

_Roll with me, get it right, faded on a summer night_

_Let's see where it takes us_

I was shocked at the tenderness in his voice as he continued, holding my gaze he entire time.

_I got real big plans, baby, for you and me_

_So love me for who I am and for who I'm gonna be_

_Ain't got everything you want, but got everything you need_

_So take a chance, take a chance on me_

_I got real big plans, baby, for you and me_

_So love me for who I am and for who I'm gonna be_

_Ain't got everything you want, but got everything you need_

_So take a chance, take a chance on me_

_I got real big plans_

_Hold up, hold up, baby_

_I got real big plans_

_Hold up, hold up, baby_

At those words spoken, Percy stood up from his seat and walked closer to the edge of the stage before jumping down to the ground. But he continued to play and sing as he slowly made his way towards his girlfriend.

_Know you're tired, know you're down_

_Know you wanna leave this town_

_Baby, give me one year,_

_Take my hand, take a leap_

_Girl, you gotta wait and see_

_Where I take it from here_

_That's the beautiful thing about you_

_I know that you'd do the same in my shoes_

_Never switch, never stop, I could see us at the top_

_Girl, why don't we go there?_

_I got real big plans, baby, for you and me_

_So love me for who I am and for who I'm gonna be_

_Ain't got everything you want, but got everything you need_

_So take a chance, take a chance on me_

_I got real big plans, baby, for you and me_

_So love me for who I am and for who I'm gonna be_

_Ain't got everything you want, but got everything you need_

_So take a chance, take a chance on me_

_I got real big plans_

_Hold up, hold up, baby (Oh)_

_I got real big plans_

_Hold up, hold up, baby_

_C'mon, c'mon, c'mon_

_Take a chance on_

_C'mon, c'mon, c'mon_

_Just take a chance on_

_C'mon, c'mon, c'mon_

_Take a chance on me_

At this point, he reached the place where Annabeth was now standing in front of her seat and pulled up a chair from the table and held her hands with his own. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to the back of her right hand before stepping back so he could finish out the song.

_I got real big plans, baby, for you and me_

_So love me for who I am and for who I'm gonna be_

_Ain't got everything you want, but got everything you need (Baby)_

_So take a chance, take a chance on me_

At this point all of the surrounding noise died down and Percy was the one still strumming guitar slowly as the post-chorus came up.

_I got real big plans_

_Hold up, hold up, baby (Take a chance on me)_

_I got real big plans (Take a chance on me)_

_Hold up, hold up, baby_

_I got real big plans_

As the song ended and the entire audience erupted into applause and cheering as Perseus pulled Annabeth into a tight hug and sighed in relief as her arms tightened around his back. Her face was buried into the crook of his neck and she pressed a soft kiss to his skin with a sniffle.

Once Percy gave the guitar back, he kissed Annabeth firmly on the lips before taking her arm in his and brought her outside of the establishment.

"That was amazing Percy. I had no clue you could sing like that." Annabeth gushed as they walked down the street, no place in mind on where they needed to go. Just enjoying their company before life came back into their lives to screw up their happiness.

As everyone knows, life as a demigod tends to be short and delivered with a painful death.

* * *

**A/N: ****Originally, I had intended to end it at the end of the Titan War, but after going through months of writers block, I'm more than content to leave this as is. Thank you for reading the story and all of your support!**


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